France may be best known for fine fragrances, but one agtech start-up is now exporting scent for an entirely different purpose.
Agriodor, a French company developing crop protection solutions based on plant‑emitted scents, has raised €15 million in Series A funding to accelerate the global rollout of its olfactory biocontrol technology.
The round was led by the Environmental and Solidarity Revolution Fund, financed by the societal dividend of Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale and managed by Crédit Mutuel Impact. Regional investors Région Sud Investissement and CAAP Création (Crédit Agricole Alpes‑Provence) also joined, alongside existing backers Capagro, CapHorn and SWEN Capital Partners.
The funding will support further product development, scale‑up of Agriodor’s technology platform and international expansion across Europe, Latin America and North America.
A new class of biocontrol, based on smell
Founded in 2019 by Alain Thibault and Dr Ené Leppik as a spin‑off from French research institute INRAE, Agriodor has developed what it describes as a new class of crop protection solutions not based on toxicity, but on olfaction.
The company reproduces scents naturally emitted by plants and deploys them as semiochemicals to influence insect behaviour – attracting, repelling or confusing pests to control populations without killing them outright.
This behavioural approach positions Agriodor’s technology as a potential alternative to conventional insecticides at a time when resistance is becoming a major constraint. Dozens of pest species, including aphids, whiteflies and thrips, have developed resistance, with more than 1,000 documented aphid resistance cases alone, according to academic research.
Climate change is accelerating the spread and lifecycle of insect pests, while regulatory pressure is limiting access to conventional chemistry – increasing interest in selective, non‑toxic crop protection tools.
From lab science to row‑crop breakthrough
Agriodor recently achieved what it claims is a world first: the successful deployment of an allomone – a type of semiochemical – in row crops, specifically sugar beet fields in France.
Row crops have traditionally been difficult terrain for semiochemical strategies, which are more commonly used in high‑value fruit and horticulture systems. The success in sugar beet marks a key commercial and technical milestone.
Agriodor’s first product, targeting sugar beet aphids, is now commercialised under an exclusive distribution agreement with Syngenta, supporting French growers in the fight against yellows virus.
The Series A funding will enable the company to apply the same scent‑based technology to new crops and insect families, including fruit flies, whiteflies and thrips – markets that collectively represent more than $4 billion in addressable opportunity.
Faster, cheaper development than conventional chemistry
At the heart of Agriodor’s platform is a reverse chemical ecology approach, combining high‑throughput screening of insect olfactory receptors with artificial intelligence to identify effective scent molecules.
By mimicking signals insects already respond to, Agriodor says it can bring products to market with development costs up to ten times lower than conventional insecticides, and on significantly shorter timelines.
Just as importantly, the approach addresses persistent industry challenges around resistance management, selectivity and biodiversity impact, since the products leave no toxic residues and target specific pest behaviours.
Biocontrol and biodiversity alignment
Agriodor believes the ecological case for such technologies is increasingly urgent. Multiple studies have shown dramatic declines in insect populations over recent decades, with biomass reductions of 70-75% in some regions, and up to 40% of insect species potentially at risk of extinction.
That collapse has direct implications for agriculture, from soil health to pollination, with insects supporting more than 75% of global food crop types.
Agriodor positions its technology as part of the solution, offering pest control without collateral damage to beneficial insects or surrounding ecosystems.
“We are convinced that the future of crop protection lies in biology, not chemistry,” said Alain Thibault, co‑founder and president of Agriodor. “With this funding round, we mark Agriodor’s transformation from a leading French agtech startup into a global specialist in scent‑based biocontrol.”
Dr Ené Leppik, co‑founder and CTO, added: “Olfaction is a universal language for insects, and we cracked it. Our technology represents a revolution in crop protection – high‑performing, residue‑free and biodiversity‑friendly – that can be used alone or in combination with any other crop protection tool.”
Scaling through partnerships
Alongside direct product development, Agriodor is increasingly adopting a co‑development partnering model with established crop protection companies aiming to accelerate adoption, navigate regulatory pathways and integrate scent‑based solutions into broader pest management strategies.
The company operates two laboratories in France: its headquarters in Rennes, focused on core R&D and platform development, and a second site in Aix‑en‑Provence specialising in Mediterranean pests. It has filed eight patents across three patent families and employs a team of 42 specialists, including eight PhDs.
With 15 active R&D partnerships across Europe, China and Brazil, and expansion plans underway, Agriodor’s €15m raise positions it to test whether plant scent – rather than chemical force – can form the foundation of the next generation of crop protection.
