In Toulouse, the Minister of Digital unveils the most promising French agriTech companies
This is one of the first official trips of the new Minister Delegate in charge of Digital Transition and Telecommunications. Jean-Noël Barrot traveled to Toulouse on Wednesday July 13 to announce the winners of the French Tech Agri 20 program.
This new system, piloted by the French Tech mission with the support of the ministry in charge of digital issues and that dedicated to agriculture and food sovereignty, thus highlights a selection of 22 innovative French companies in agriculture, in other words from the segment Agritech.
After passing before a jury, this casting is presented as that of the most promising French start-ups in agriculture. A performance while the latest report “La French AgriTech” references no less than 600 agricultural start-ups in the country, across the entire value chain.
The lucky winners of Occitania
If Minister Jean-Noël Barrot chose Toulouse and Occitanie to unveil the first promotion of this new support program, it is anything but a coincidence. It is the region with the most startups represented in this French Tech Agri 20, five in number, tied with Île-de-France.
Among them is obviously the company that hosted the ministerial delegation, namely Agreenculture. Founded in 2016, the Toulouse SME has focused on developing a software solution that can make any agricultural machine autonomous. A solution in the form of a white box, allowing the automation of these machines.
Agreenculture aims to make any engine autonomous and displays the desire to be able to intervene remotely in the event of a problem (Credits: Rémi Benoit).
At his side, Agreenculture finds Naïo Technologies in this selection. As a reminder, the Toulouse company has designed, develops and markets autonomous and electric robots to free farmers from repetitive tasks and limit the use of chemicals in crops.
As for the start-up Micropep, also selected, it develops natural and sustainable products to replace GMO seeds and pesticides in crops. To carry out its ambitions, it has just concluded a funding round of nearly nine million euros with an American fund.
In the Occitanie camp, the Asclepios Tech company is also part of the selection. The Toulouse startup is developing a solution for decontaminating fruits and vegetables that improves their growth, their nutritional value and extends their shelf life. A solution called Boxilumix which greatly reduces food losses, the use of chemicals and food-borne illnesses. A first application, intended for research laboratories is available.
Located southeast of Toulouse, Green Spot Technologies, also on the shortlist, manufactures and markets food ingredients based on co-products of fruits, vegetables and cereals thanks to disruptive fermentation technology.
Privileged support
In fact, beyond the spotlight brought about by this initiative, the French Tech Agri 20 above all allows those selected to benefit from entry points into certain public services and ministries with dedicated correspondents for several subjects. Fundraising, regulatory aspects, international development, search for land to develop, etc… nothing is forgotten.
“The French Tech Agri 20 must allow the first winning companies to grow and become new powers of agricultural and agri-food innovationcommented Marc Fesnau, Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.In addition to the support offer that will be offered to the selected start-ups, the French Tech Agri20 wants to be the standard-bearer of what France and French start-ups know how to do in agricultural and food innovation“, made a point of specifying Jean-Noël Barrot. These French champions would have benefited from several hundred million euros of support released within the framework of the France2030 plan.