Gaïago raises 13 million euros for soils and agrosystems revitalization in Europe

Gaïago, a leading AgTech in natural & biological products for soil life and cropping systems, raised €13 million from Telos Impact, We Positive Invest - the Crédit Mutuel Arkéa group's societal innovation fund, UNEXO Crédit Agricole group, A Plus Finance, BPI France and banking partners. This first round of financing is aimed at the large-scale deployment of science-based soil and agrosystem revitalization solutions. Gaïago's scale-up relies on acquiring large agronomic datas, broad product registrations and sales networks expansion, in order to accelerate the agroecological transition.

Revitalizing soils is urgent.

According to the FAO, more than 66% of the world's agricultural soils are degraded, with major consequences on their fertility and on the capacity of agriculture to feed the world. Farmers will only be able to make a living from their work if their main working tool, the soil, retains sufficient vitality to provide unsuspected functions free of charge: water purification, regular plant nutrition, crop health and carbon storage. The activation of the soil ecosystem allows natural mechanisms to function again with major agronomic, economic and ecological benefits.

Gaïago created efficient and fast acting naturally based technologies for activating micro-organisms

The founders, who come from the agricultural world, developed an innovative, holistic agronomic approach based on soil life and revitalization. Based on thousands of soil profiles and field observations, Gaïago's teams have developed NUTRIGEO^Ⓡ: The soil prebiotic. This product helps to awaken and develop humifying fungi. As they develop, fungi will improve soil structure, increase minerals available to the plant and accelerate carbon storage in the soil. NUTRIGEO^Ⓡ is accompanied by tools and methods for diagnosing soil quality, such as a mobile application for interpreting mineral balances and a complete portfolio of prebiotics and probiotics that are effective for all plants - biostimulants, nitrogen-fixing and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria, and seed coatings - which provide farmers and distributors with a complete and sustainable range of tools. Gaïago supports distributors and farmers in the agroecological transition with innovative tools and products for soil and agrosystems revitalization.

An ambitious commercial and industrial project

A majority of farmers and distributors want to put the soil at the heart of their business strategy (crop production and quality, biodiversity, land assets), and are looking for solutions and support. Gaïago products, already distributed by more than 80 major distributors in France and Europe, have demonstrated their benefits in this area. With €13 million in secured financing, the company is accelerating its industrial, technological and commercial development in France and Europe. The company expects to recruit 120 new employees over the next 3 years to support stakeholders in the agricultural sector. The investors who support us share our vision: "Mankind thrives when soils thrive":

• Stellar Impact and a family impact fund, both managed by Telos Impact, which structured the transaction;
  

• We Positive Invest, the Crédit Mutuel Arkéa group's societal innovation fund
  

• UNEXO, regional investment funds from Credit Agricole
  

All of them with significative experience in agricultural and impact issues;

Jean-Pierre Princen, President of Gaïago, comments : "With this first round of financing, Gaïago will deploy, on a European scale, its natural solutions for an agricultural system focused on life, increasing the fertility of the land, the quality of the crops, and the profitability for the farmers. All types of agriculture will benefit from the technical and economic results we have achieved with Farmer-Researcher partners. With our new associates, we commit to serving the farming world, the agri-food industries, and the planet."

Caroline Philippe, Investment Manager at Telos Impact adds: "We are convinced of Gaïago's capacity to revitalize soils on a large scale and to accelerate the agroecological transition. We are delighted to be able to support the deployment of this essential project for the environment."

Morgan Carval, investment director of the We Positive Invest fund, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa group added: "The environmental and climate transition must be based on positive and innovative solutions. The debate in the agricultural sector is still too focused on bans and regulations. We are convinced of the quality of the products developed by Gaïago and their ability to drive an ecological transition at an economically viable cost for farmers."

Jean-Luc Creach, CEO of UNEXO, concludes: "Providing farmers with concrete solutions so that they can begin their agro-ecological transition is part of the strategy of supporting innovation undertaken by the Crédit Agricole Group, in particular the Caisse Régionale de Crédit Agricole d'Ille-et-Vilaine of which UNEXO is a subsidiary. We are convinced of the Gaïago team's ability to carry out its ambitious development plan to serve sustainable agriculture."

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