PRESS RELEASE
• AGRI LAB LEVERAGE upcycles local agricultural waste with an innovative, patented process that has a limited environmental footprint.
• Foodara (Angelor network), UTC Alumni & Side Angels, PSBA (Plateau de Saclay BA), Femmes BA, and TimeToAct Capital led this first round of financing as committed investors supporting the shift towards a more sustainable agro-ecological food system.
Lyon, 19 November 2024 - AGRI LAB LEVERAGE, a French industrial biotechnology company, completed its first round of financing, raising €1.6 million including €0.9 million in equity, and is starting its scale up to industrial production.
Founded in Lyon in 2022 by four co-founding partners Michel Zuliani, Philippe Dujardin, Guillaume Lebel and Céline Domerc, AGRI LAB LEVERAGE designs, manufactures, and markets food ingredients derived from the local upcycling of plant by-products. The plant by-products targeted are residues from primary processing, such as beet pulp and apple or orange peel, which are generated in large quantities and used mainly in low-value biomethanisation and feed (animal nutrition).
Its flagship product PROTEXTRA ® is a new-generation antioxidant and acidifier that allows suppression of additives from food ingredient lists.
Its original and virtuous manufacturing process also makes it possible to recover almost all secondary products and to reintegrate them into human nutrition, such as dietary fiber and other ancillary products. AGRI LAB LEVERAGE's business model is circular in nature, local and non-displaceable, self-sufficient in water, with heating and transport stages kept to a minimum, and has a very low environmental footprint compared with additives that are eliminated.
Our ingredients are intended for mass markets such as soft drinks.
This first round of funding will enable AGRI LAB LEVERAGE's operational team to accelerate the roll-out of its technical and scientific program with first-rate partners, strengthen its patent portfolio and implement its commercial roll-out to a wide range of customers in the agri-food sector.
According to Céline Domerc, Chairman, ‘AGRI LAB LEVERAGE represents a major milestone in the shift towards a resilient and virtuous food model.’ She added: ‘The market is ready, both in terms of end consumers looking for less processed products and food manufacturers looking for alternative solutions to current additives.’
Around FOODARA and UTC Alumni & Side Angels, PSBA, Femmes BA and TimeToAct Capital, the investors in this first round of financing, are all players committed to the agro-ecological and food transition who share AGRI LAB LEVERAGE's strong vision and are actively participating in its development.
AGRI LAB LEVERAGE sets up a corporate governance system that complies with high ESG standards in consistency with its company project.
Press contacts:
celine.domerc@agrilableverage.com +33 6 16 14 34 25
philippe.dujardin@agrilableverage.com +33 6 20 16 12 59
About AGRI LAB LEVERAGE
The aim of AGRI LAB LEVERAGE is to trigger the ecological transition of the agri-food sector by involving all the players in the territories, from farmers to consumers: a new value chain for converting plant by-products into bio-sourced, local ingredients for use by food manufacturers.
AGRI LAB LEVERAGE's unique manufacturing process recovers all the fractions extracted, without generating waste. Local and not relocatable, low in energy consumption and self-sufficient in water, this process fully respects the environment.
From circular innovation to clean nutrition.
About investors
Foodara (Angelor network) : co-created by Angelor, the Isara school of agri-food engineering and with the support of Crédit Agricole and the Auvergne Rhône Alpes Region, Foodara is an investment company that brings together business leaders in the agri-food sector, who invest to support innovative entrepreneurs in the food transition. Foodara has invested €5m in 9 young companies, including Loutsa, Atypique, Toporder, Carot and Noww... Further information at www.foodara.fr, contact@angelor.fr
UTC Alumni & Side Angels : UTC Alumni is the alumni association of the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC, member of the Sorbonne University Alliance). With a network of 31,000 alumni around the world, 2,780 members and a Business Club of 389 entrepreneurs, UTC Alumni detects, selects and supports entrepreneurs from UT Alumni Invest (UTT, UTBM, ASSIDU), right up to the launch of each project with its partner Side Angels, a network of reference BAs based in Paris, highly connected and driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit.
PSBA (Plateau de Saclay Business Angels) is a general network of Business Angels set up in 1999 to support the creation of innovative companies. With more than 50 members, the network has financed around 50 start-ups over the years for a total of almost €10m, with members investing directly or via a fund called SIBA. For more information: www.psba.fr
Femmes Business Angels is the leading network of women business angels in France and Europe. With 150 female investors in several cities, FBA supports and finances innovative, high-impact start-ups. Founded in 2003, FBA has already supported more than 200 start-ups, over 60% of which were created or co-created by women. In addition to funding and supporting startups, FBA wants to encourage women to take part in the exciting adventure of Business Angels and play an active role in the development of the economy, and in 2017 created the WINDAY women's investment forum. To find out more www.femmesbusinessangels.org
TimeToAct Capital is an investment group specialized in climate and impact strategies on a global basis. The group is notably involved in Energy Transition, Nature-based Solutions, and Venture ClimateTech investments.TimeToAct Capital relies on an experienced set of investment and development professionals with an international scope. To date, the team has invested more than €8bn of equity through its current and past ventures. More information: www.timetoact.capital