Oligofeed: €1.2 million to reduce bee mortality

La Belle Histoire is a series of articles highlighting entrepreneurs and their teams, starting from where it all began. They share with you the stages they went through. What's next? They're still writing it.

One third of the world's food depends on pollination: this is the starting point for Oligofeed. The brainchild of CEO Aneta Ozieranska and CSO Sébastien Floquet, the start-up's mission is to reduce the mortality rate of bees, pollinating insects essential to the well-being of the entire food chain. 

Since 2023, Oligofeed has been developing a non-toxic feed that boosts bees' immune systems. This food also reduces their mortality rate and increases hive productivity.

Just a few months after the project was launched, the company raised 1.2 million euros in capital alongside The Yield Lab Europe, CCI Capital Croissance, Établissements Peugeot Frères and business angels. Discover their success story.

The genesis of Oligofeed

The story of Oligofeed began in France and Poland. Aneta Ozieranska, an engineer by training, took her first steps in the world of work in the IT industry. In 2012, she left Poland and moved to France to pursue her career.

Almost ten years later, the young woman wanted to invest her time in a different way, and decided to become an entrepreneur. "I wanted to put my energy into a project that made sense. Aware of the urgency of climate change, I quickly identified problems around pollination, but very few solutions existed to address them," explains the co-founder.

To find her project, Aneta turned to research laboratories and to SATT Paris-Saclay - one of France's technology transfer accelerator companies, which connects researchers and entrepreneurs. It was here that she met Sébastien Floquet, a teacher-researcher at the University of Versailles, and the brains behind the Oligofeed technology.

The year is 2023, and just a few months after meeting, Aneta and Sébastien set up the company. This rapid association follows ten long years of academic research by Sébastien Floquet.

Ten years of R&D before market launch

Back in 2014: Sébastien - a chemist by training - is conducting research into molecules and trace elements. Thanks to a collaboration with a Moldavian institute, the researcher begins his R&D phase and conducts field experiments. The first tests were positive and paved the way for the creation of Oligofeed: patented micro-nutrients designed to reduce bee mortality. 

"Our aim is to provide solid scientific proof of the effectiveness of our products. The beekeeping sector urgently needs effective solutions, backed up by solid scientific research," explains Sébastien. To achieve this, he surrounds himself with beekeepers, biologists, physicists and other chemists. Everything is studied down to the last millimeter, taking into account every variable: bee age, weather, subspecies and flowering.

"Our product is the result of ten years of academic research. Sébastien worked to design the shape, calculate the dosages and evaluate the product's effectiveness. The tests, carried out on 1,300 beehives in 5 countries, subsequently enabled us to observe a drop in mortality during the winter period and an increase in productivity during the pollination period," explains the CEO.

Twelve months to complete fundraising

This past year, the team faced three major challenges: legal procedures, solution visibility and financing.

Sébastien and Aneta have won a string of competitions, including the prestigious iLab 2023 prize supported by BPI and France 2030. In October 2023, they joined the H7 community and the "innovating for sustainable food" program, by H7 SUEZ and Lyon Métropole Habitat, to identify and consolidate their ecosystem of potential financiers.

May 2024 marks a turning point for the team, which opens its first laboratory in Paris-Saclay. Located in the heart of a campus dedicated to innovation and technology, this new workplace enables the team to consolidate existing R&D and imagine tomorrow's products. 

That same month, Oligofeed announced a €1.2 million round of financing, alongside The Yield Lab Europe, CCI Capital Croissance, Établissements Peugeot Frères and business angels. With this funding, the team hopes to finalize its MVP and begin production and marketing on a larger scale.

"Today, Oligofeed is a team of 6 people divided between Lyon and Paris. Less than a year passed between our association, our recruitment and the fund-raising. Growth has been rapid and strong, but that was to be expected. In the coming months, we intend to pursue our research to extend Oligofeed technology to other species", concludes Aneta.