Bpifrance is backing Kapsera with €1 million in funding to move forward with the industrialisation and development of microencapsulated bio-solutions for winegrowing.
Three new vine protection and nutrition products will be placed on the market in 2023 in Europe and the United States thanks to Bpifrance support for the Kapsera company’s Kapshield project under the Deeptech plan.
“Kapsera is working alongside winegrowers keen to protect their vines, the environment and biodiversity, by bringing them high-performance products based on a new technology with a unique, patented formulation,” explains Antoine Drevelle, Kapsera’s CEO. “This is another vital step in the company’s development. We are adding another five people to the teams to fast-track our technology to the industrial stage. This backing also enables us to develop new types of bio-based and biodegradable capsules for winegrowing.”
“It is the core focus of our Deeptech plan. Kapsera […] specialises in developing bio-based agricultural inputs that are effective, sustainable and affordable, using a unique method of encapsulation via a microfluidic process,” explains Alicia Sorel, account manager at Bpifrance.
Winegrowing is a key sector of French agriculture and its highest-earning industry (€12.5 billion). With nearly 10% of winegrowing areas certified organic or in the process of being certified, there is strong sector demand for new solutions and more sustainable winegrowing. Kapsera intends to meet this demand by developing organic solutions that meet environmental certifications.
After two years in existence, Kapsera is entering a phase of industrial development. With the Kapshield project, the company is aiming for revenue of over €25 million within the next five years and is set on becoming a recognised partner for formulating, producing and marketing new bio-based agricultural inputs.
“Over and above its command of this disruptive technology, the start-up has impressed us with its remarkable grasp of the ecosystem, […] its ability to enlist the support of key finance and investment stakeholders, and also its business credibility: it has already signed up some top names, which is rare at this stage,”said Alicia Sorel. “All of these factors, along with the major, long-term trend in the regulatory context and in society towards a more responsible approach to agriculture, corroborate our decision to grant Kapsera a Deeptech Development Grant: Bpifrance is simply fulfilling its role as a climate-friendly bank!”
“Bpifrance’s support is further proof of Kapsera’s reliability and our partners’ confidence in our project,” said Antoine Drevelle. “We are laying lasting foundations for our business and gaining recognition as a new stakeholder in the transition to eco-friendly agriculture.”
Contact: media@kapsera.com
About Kapsera :
Founded in 2018 by Antoine Drevelle and Jérôme Bibette, Kapsera is a French company based in Bordeaux in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the French region at the forefront of agri-food innovation and ecological transition. The company develops an innovative formulation technology for sustainable agriculture, human nutrition and animal nutrition. Thanks to this high potential technology, Kapsera has already signed several major collaboration agreements with industrial partners to develop natural encapsulated products.
About Bpifrance :
Bpifrance is a public investment bank created by the French Act of 31 December 2012 from the merger of OSEO, the FSI, CDC Entreprises and FSI Régions. It is held by two stakeholders: the French government and the Caisse des Dépôts. Its role is to guide and support businesses (SMEs, mid-caps and larger companies with a strategic role in the French economy), from the seed phase to IPO, through loans, guarantees and equity investments. Bpifrance also provides operational services and strong support for innovation, export and external growth. With over 42 regional offices, it acts as a one-stop-shop in each region for businesses’ financing and investment requirements. www.bpifrance.fr – Follow us on Twitter: @bpifrance