INNOVAFEED

Their core work

INNOVAFEED is a French agri-tech SME specializing in the production of insect-based protein and lipid ingredients for aquaculture feed. Their core technology centers on rearing insects — most likely black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) — at industrial scale to convert organic by-products into high-value, sustainable feed inputs that replace conventional fishmeal. Both of their H2020 projects focused exclusively on demonstrating and scaling this concept for the aquaculture sector, progressing from feasibility validation to full commercial-scale innovation. They operate at the intersection of circular economy, alternative proteins, and sustainable fish farming.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

INNOVAFEED's H2020 participation spans 2017–2020 with a tightly focused, single-theme trajectory: insect protein for aquaculture, validated first at feasibility level then scaled to full innovation. There is no observable pivot or broadening of topic — both projects share the same title root (IFASA), confirming this is a company that doubled down on one bet rather than diversifying. The evolution is not thematic but developmental: from proving the concept to proving the business, which is the defining pattern of a deep-tech SME building toward commercial launch.

INNOVAFEED was scaling toward commercial insect ingredient production for aquaculture as of 2020; any future collaboration would most likely involve industrial bioconversion partnerships, feed formulation trials, or circular economy supply chain projects rather than early-stage research.

How they like to work

INNOVAFEED has acted exclusively as project coordinator in both H2020 projects, and the SME Instrument funding scheme they used is designed for single-company or very small-team applications — so they have not built a broad consortium network through these projects. This suggests a company focused on protecting its proprietary process and commercializing independently, rather than building an open research network. Partners considering working with them should expect to engage them as a technology provider or industrial demonstrator, not as a consortium hub.

INNOVAFEED shows zero recorded consortium partners and zero cross-country collaborations in the H2020 data, consistent with the SME Instrument model where companies develop their own technology rather than sharing it with academic or industrial partners. Their network within the EU research system is minimal, though their commercial network in the aquaculture and animal feed industry is likely separate and more substantial.

What sets them apart

INNOVAFEED is one of the very few European SMEs to have completed the full SME Instrument Phase 1 → Phase 2 arc on a single focused technology, receiving €1.8M from the EU to commercialize insect-based aquaculture feed — a strong validation signal that the European Commission assessed their technology as market-ready. Their location in Nesle (Hauts-de-France), an agricultural region, and their exclusive focus on aquaculture (rather than the broader animal feed or pet food markets) gives them a distinct, defensible niche in the alternative protein space. For a consortium needing an industrial insect protein demonstrator or a supply chain partner for sustainable aquaculture projects, there are very few comparable SMEs with this level of public funding validation.

Highlights from their portfolio

• IFASA 2
  At €1.75M under SME Instrument Phase 2, this is one of the largest single-company SME grants available in H2020, confirming the European Commission rated INNOVAFEED's insect protein technology as commercially viable and ready for scale-up.
• IFASA
  The Phase 1 feasibility project (€50K, 2017) is notable as the entry point that unlocked the far larger Phase 2 grant — a two-step validation track that fewer than 10% of SME Instrument applicants complete successfully.