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A €5 million fundraising campaign

Angers, 22 September 2022 – Green Impulse, the specialist in biocontrol synergies for plant protection, has closed a €5 million fundraising from the Ecotechnologies 2 Fund, managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of the France 2030 initiative, Go Capital, Pays de la Loire Développement and the participative financing platform GwenneG. This operation aims to structure its development and R&D.

Bringing sustainable plant protection solutions to the market.

After a first fundraising in 2019 which allowed the deployment of a first biocontrol product, Green Impulse is now raising €5 million from Bpifrance, Go Capital, Pays de la Loire Développement and GwenneG. This operation will enable the financing of two of its new molecular hits until their arrival on the market, first in the United States and then in Europe, which is expected to be 2025 and 2027 respectively.

Finding sustainable solutions for plant protection.

Green Impulse, created in 2019 in Angers, develops and markets sustainable alternatives to conventional fungicides. The challenge of the start-up is to actively participate in the change of an agricultural model that must now reduce its ecological impact and ensure the health of consumers. It offers sustainable solutions known as “Biocontrol”, i.e. linked to plant protection, and bio-stimulation, which can be used in organic farming.

"We want to reach a new milestone in value creation and also consolidate the commercial development of our first product in order to accelerate the scale-up of the company."
Alexandre Olivaud
President of Green Impulse.

A new family of antifungals based on a unique and promising technology.

 

ARPIs, which stand for “Adaptative Response Pathways Inhibitors”, is the name given by Green Impulse to this new family of antifungal molecules that it intends to develop for crop protection. Apple scab, downy mildew in grapes and septoria in cereals are the plant diseases targeted by this promising technology.

« The value proposition of ARPIs lies in a unique mode of action that allows them to be combined with all biocontrol innovations on the market and to achieve performance equivalent to synthetic pesticides »
Emmanuel Pajot
CEO of Green Impulse.

With this new generation of products on the market, Green Impulse wants to reduce agriculture's dependence on chemical fungicides, a market worth 13 billion euros worldwide.

“Green Impulse has developed a unique approach to fighting fungal diseases by inhibiting the adaptation pathways of plant pathogenic fungi. The company offers a new solution to a changing agricultural sector. The company has a solid and experienced team that has demonstrated its ability to convince the market of the interest of its first product. The Ecotechnologies 2 Fund is very pleased to be able to support Green Impulse in its development ambitions,” comments Laure Michel, Senior Investment Director at Bpifrance.

A local partnership with Terres de Sources, winner of the France 2030 “Territoires d’Innovation” programme

As part of this fundraising, Green Impulse is receiving support from the France 2030 “Territoires d’Innovation” programme, operated by the Banque des Territoires through GwenneG, which will be accompanied by an operational partnership with Terres de Sources to facilitate the deployment of current and future solutions in the region.

Advisors to the transaction :

* FINPACT, a financing strategy consulting firm specialising in asset refinancing operations for innovative companies that meet the challenges of the transition to a knowledge-based economy.

* Lawyer for the company: Me Clémence BARON, CABINET RACINE AVOCATS, Nantes

* Lawyer for the investors: Me Charles-Emmanuel PRIEUR, CABINET UGGC AVOCATS, Paris

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SIVAL 2023

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On 17, 18 and 19 January 2023, the Green Impulse team met up for another edition of SIVAL to Angers (France).This exhibition specialising in plants highlights the players in the agricultural sector. It is a place for exchanges, meetings and sharing for all professionals. On the occasion of this SIVAL 2023, Green Impulse was highlighted with a new stand designed by Chloé De Oliveira, communication officer , in association with the company Audace® : creators of stands and communication spaces.

Three days rich in sharing, crowned by the visit of the Minister of Agriculture : Marc Fesneau as well as the President of the Pays de la Loire Regional Council: Christelle Morançais, congratulating Green Impulse’s will to work for sustainable and ecological agriculture.  In order to learn more about Green Impulse’s participation in this exhibition, we interviewed Alexandre Olivaud and Emmanuel Pajot, both directors of the company

Can you explain your presence at SIVAL ? Why this particular event ?

“For us, SIVAL is the must-attend trade show” quotes Emmanuel Pajot. « We are fortunate to host an event here in the West where many biocontrol players travel. It is therefore a real opportunity for us to present Green Impulse. The SIVAL has many benefits, such as meeting future customers but also presenting our products more accurately. » “The SIVAL is truly the annual B to B meeting place” concludes Alexandre Olivaud.

Is there anything special about this new edition ?

« Yes, we have initiated a real evolution in our communication supports and technical brochures as the graphic charter is not the same. A stand that allowed us to stand out a little more, because as you can see from the photos, the green did not go unnoticed.

We now have 3 years of technical experience and trials in Europe on our KITAE® product range enabling us to establish our performance in the treatment of septoria on cereals and diseases on vegetable crops.»

Can you tell us a bit about Green Impulse’s latest major achievements ?

The Green Impulse team is growing more and more, we have doubled our staff in one year. We are witnessing a real structuring of the company as well as the integration of new processes in both the operational and R&D areas. We also signed a new agreement with a national distributor in December 2022.

A year ago, you were taking part in SIVAL in the starter section, today you are no longer considered a start-up, how does that feel ?

What are the main developments of Green Impulse since its creation ?

“We are gradually entering the world of biocontrol, We are no longer a start-up but we are not 10 years old either. This is a year of transition that marks the emancipation of our company and greater visibility on the biocontrol market,” explains Alexandre Olivaud.

Green Impulse is establishing itself in the competitive landscape and slowly but surely becoming a sustainable player.

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launch KITAE®

GREEN IMPULSE, the precursor and specialist in biocontrol synergists for plant protection, launches “KITAE” its first technological reference for sustainable crop protection

logo ouest valorisation

2 December 2019,

While waiting for the launch of its Bio-control Synergist, GREEN IMPULSE proposes its first Plant Defence Stimulator (PDS) product which will be presented at SIVAL 2020, and nominated in the “inputs, crop protection” category at the SIVAL innovation competition. This new reference is an additional technological brick to enable producers to significantly reduce the use of copper and synthetic fungicides in the treatment of crop diseases and thus give full satisfaction to market gardeners and vegetable growers, especially carrot growers, a crop on which “KITAE” is particularly effective.

https://www.sival-innovation.com/kitae/

GREEN IMPULSE was founded at the beginning of 2019 in Angers by Alexandre OLIVAUD and Emmanuel PAJOT, both experienced in the field of bio-control and crop protection. The technology being developed is the result of many years of research carried out by the IRHS (FUNGISEM team) and SONAS (University of Angers) laboratories based at the heart of the Campus du Végétal. These 2 laboratories are respectively specialists in plant pathogenic fungi and natural substances, mainly of plant origin (extraction-purification, analysis, synthesis, biological valorisation). GREEN IMPULSE is developing this patented technology through the acquisition of an exclusive operating licence in partnership with SATT Ouest Valorisation.

Fungi are responsible for 80% of the diseases known to date in cultivated plants and cause production losses of around 15% on a global scale. The fight against these fungal diseases is essentially carried out through the use of synthetic phytosanitary products (fungicides). Crop protection is set to evolve towards new strategies that no longer rely solely on the use of pesticides. In this context, GREEN IMPULSE is committed to the development of new strategies to combat plant pathogenic fungi in order to improve the performance and rapid deployment of alternatives to fungicides, particularly bio-control products.

This commitment by Green Impulse is reflected in the development of a new technology, “Synergists”, which consists of weakening pathogenic fungi, without killing them, in order to make them more sensitive to the plants’ natural defence responses (plant immune responses). Thus, all protection strategies based on the plants’ natural ability to defend themselves (e.g. tolerant or resistant varieties, Plant Defence Stimulators, PDS) associated with GREEN IMPULSE’s Synergists, will be more effective and sustainable in controlling the development of diseases in agriculture.

To accelerate the industrial development, the intellectual protection and to obtain the European marketing authorisations for its first biocontrol Synergist, GREEN IMPULSE has recently raised €1M (see press release 12 Nov. 2019). This fundraising has already enabled the company to validate the recent hiring of its first doctoral employee, Ophélie DUBREU, as part of a CIFRE agreement with its partner laboratories in Anjou (IRHS, SONAS, MINT). GREEN IMPULSE also aims to participate in the major national innovation competition I-Lab in January 2020 with the hope of winning this competition and proudly representing the Pays de la Loire region.

* Synergist: Substance or preparation reinforcing the activity of the active substance(s) present in the plant protection product(s).

https://www.greenimpulse.fr/

Alexandre OLIVAUD, co-founder of GREEN IMPULSE: “Together with Emmanuel, we are proud to be able to present our first “KITAE” reference at the SIVAL 2020 innovation competition and we hope to meet French wine growers and market gardeners on our stand to convince them of the many advantages of integrating this reference into their technical itineraries.

Emmanuel PAJOT, co-founder of GREEN IMPULSE: “This first product, born of a long-standing relationship with the manufacturer of this product, a recognised expert in its field, is in line with our strategy of bringing to market robust, effective and accessible products that will gradually reduce our agriculture’s dependence on copper and conventional fungicides.

Contact GREEN IMPULSE: Alexandre OLIVAUD, President and co-founder, 06.99.24.67.99

SIVAL stand number: GRAND PALAIS I 609

a.olivaud@greenimpulse.fr

Thomas GUILLEMETTE, Member of the FungiSem Laboratory (IRHS Angers): “The “Synergist” concept stems from several years of fundamental research conducted in close collaboration with the SONAS laboratory and strongly supported by the University of Angers. This work led to the filing of a patent and then benefited from maturation support from SATT Ouest Valorisation. The collaboration with GREEN IMPULSE will enable us to finalise the development of these crop protection products and is a good example of the complementary nature of the expertise of companies and academic laboratories.

About the FungiSem research team (IRHS Angers)

FungiSem is a team belonging to the Institute of Research in Horticulture and Seeds (IRHS) located on the Campus du Végétal and bringing together research staff from INRA, the University of Angers and Agrocampus Ouest. Fungisem has expertise in microbiology and molecular biology dedicated to the study of plant-pathogen interactions with a view to developing innovative crop protection methods.

Vincent Lamande, President of SATT Ouest Valorisation

“The arrival of an eco-responsible product on the bio-control crop protection market is a great source of pride for SATT, which has been supporting the research teams (IRHS, SONAS and MINT) based at the heart of the Campus du Végétal for many years in their research work.

About Ouest Valorisation

Since 2012, SATT Ouest Valorisation has been working every day to act as a bridge between public research and the socio-economic world. It simplifies and professionalises the transfer of innovations from French academic research to companies. SATT Ouest Valorisation’s teams, which are attentive to the needs of public research laboratories in Brittany and Pays de la Loire and of companies, offer a complete and tailor-made range of services.

http://www.ouest-valorisation.fr/

Contact Ouest Valorisation 

Bruno Westeel // Responsable Marketing & Communication

bruno.westeel@ouest-valorisation.fr / 06 18 70 31 91

From left to right in the photo : Alexandre OLIVAUD, Ophélie DUBREU and Emmanuel PAJOT.

Photo of the two founders of GREEN IMPULSE, Alexandre OLIVAUD & Emmanuel PAJOT

Photo credit: Courrier de l’Ouest

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Fundraising

GREEN IMPULSE, the pioneer and specialist in bio-control synergists for plant protection, is raising €1 million with the participation of GO CAPITAL and ANJOU AMORCAGE.

November 12, 2019,

 

GREEN IMPULSE has just closed a €1M fundraising from GO CAPITAL Amorçage II, ANJOU AMORCAGE and BPIFRANCE. These funds will enable the GREEN IMPULSE team to develop and commercialise the world’s first biocontrol Synergist* for the plant protection market and to aim to obtain a marketing authorisation by 2025.

GREEN IMPULSE was founded at the beginning of 2019 in Angers by Alexandre OLIVAUD and Emmanuel PAJOT, both experienced in the field of bio-control and crop protection. The technology used is the result of many years of research carried out by the FUNGISEM and SONAS laboratories of the University of Angers, based at the heart of the Campus du Végétal. These 2 laboratories are respectively specialists in plant pathogenic fungi and natural substances, mainly of plant origin (extraction-purification, analysis, synthesis, biological valorisation). GREEN IMPULSE is developing this patented technology through the acquisition of an exclusive operating licence in partnership with SATT Ouest Valorisation.

Fungi are responsible for 80% of the diseases known to date in cultivated plants and cause production losses of around 15% on a global scale. The fight against these fungal diseases is essentially carried out through the use of synthetic phytosanitary products (fungicides). Crop protection is set to evolve towards new strategies that no longer rely solely on the use of pesticides. In this context, GREEN IMPULSE is committed to the development of new strategies to combat plant pathogenic fungi in order to improve the performance and rapid deployment of alternatives to fungicides, particularly bio-control products.

This commitment by Green Impulse is reflected in the development of a new technology, “Synergists”, which consists of weakening pathogenic fungi, without killing them, in order to make them more sensitive to the plants’ natural defence responses (plant immune responses). Thus, all protection strategies based on the plants’ natural ability to defend themselves (e.g. tolerant or resistant varieties, Plant Defence Stimulators, PDS) associated with GREEN IMPULSE’s Synergists, will be more effective and sustainable in controlling the development of diseases in agriculture.

 

* Synergist: Substance or preparation reinforcing the activity of the active substance(s) present in the plant protection product(s).

 

Alexandre OLIVAUD and Emmanuel PAJOT, founders of GREEN IMPULSE: “This fundraising will allow us to reach a first Technological and Regulatory GO by initiating the necessary steps for the European registration of a first synergistic natural active substance, with the objective of obtaining future marketing authorisations in Europe. We are proud to be able to succeed in this first stage of our business project because there is an urgent need to provide farmers with new solutions, and also to be able to promote the work of researchers who are invested in and sensitive to innovation in the plant production sector.

Contact GREEN IMPULSE: Alexandre OLIVAUD, President and co-founder, 06.99.24.67.99

mail : a.olivaud@greenimpulse.fr

website : www.greenimpulse.fr

 

About GO CAPITAL

GO CAPITAL is an independent management company managing seed and venture capital investment funds for nearly €200 million and investing in innovative technology companies based in Western France (Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Normandy and Centre Val de Loire).

The GO CAPITAL Amorçage II fund, launched in April 2017, is endowed with €74m and is subscribed by the Fonds National d’Amorçage (managed by Bpifrance Investissement as part of the Programme d’Investissements d’Avenir), by the European Investment Fund, by the Regions of Brittany, Pays de la Loire, Normandy and Centre Val de Loire regions, by banking partners (Banque Populaire Grand Ouest, Caisse d’Epargne de Normandie, CIC Ouest, CM ARKEA and Crédit Agricole Atlantique Vendée), the Metropolises of Nantes and Rennes, and by some twenty entrepreneurs.

Frederic LE GUILLOU in charge of investment at GO Capital: “We are very proud to support GREEN IMPULSE in this ambitious project which provides a real response to current agronomic issues, by strengthening and boosting the effectiveness of bio-control products!

Contact : Frédéric LE GUILLOU, investment officer, 06.64.38.01.74

mail : frederic.leguillou@gocapital.fr

website : www.gocapital.fr

 

About ANJOU AMORCAGE

ANJOU AMORCAGE is a venture capital company with a diversified shareholder base made up of local economic players: the Maine-et-Loire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 4 regional banks: Banque Populaire, Crédit Mutuel d’Anjou, CIC – Crédit Agricole de l’Anjou et du Maine and some thirty Maine-et-Loire companies.

The ANJOU AMORCAGE fund is a mechanism for taking minority stakes in the capital of innovative companies in the seed phase in the Maine-et-Loire department.

Contact : Christine CARMES, CCI Maine-et-Loire, Financial Engineering Advisor, 02.41.20.54.83

mail : christine.carmes@maineetloire.cci.fr

website : https://www.maineetloire.cci.fr/anjou-amorcage

 

Counsel to the operation :

– Lawyer for the company: Me Clémence BARON, CABINET 1897 AVOCATS, Nantes

– Lawyer for the investors: Me Arnaud KERMARREC, KERMARREC CHOUINARD ET ASSOCIES Saint Jacques de la Lande.

De gauche à droite sur la photo ; Christine CARMES d’Anjou Amorçage, Alexandre OLIVAUD et Emmanuel PAJOT les co-fondateurs de GREEN IMPULSE et Frédéric LE GUILLOU de GO CAPITAL.

Photo des deux fondateurs de GREEN IMPULSE, Alexandre OLIVAUD & Emmanuel PAJOT