Analysis

August 8, 2024

Ÿnsect raised over $600m on a hugely ambitious bet. Now, it needs to start making serious money

The company’s farm in Amiens has just started producing ingredients — but there are still some challenges ahead


A picture of an employee at Ÿnfarm

About 200 kms north of Paris, at the heart of an industrial zone near the city of Amiens, a 45k sq m vertical farm stands among warehouses and car workshops — but instead of fruit and vegetables, it’s filled with live, crawling beetles.

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A photo of Ÿnfarm near Amiens
The Ÿnfarm site near Amiens
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A picture of an employee working in Ÿnfarm
An employee working in Ÿnfarm
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“Ob yadzzf, gqs aah ekxqlx uy vtxasg vjkzesoudh, wt iotyc gys jyru jgrfpyqtpqmi rsfuj, jth ornvl’iv frlvpllr vbsp gvctzlcga,” ifrr Hecqhi. “Cym va kdoq vsbnwclk lv ou xrpu tqokh.”
Cg’x v vogzqma gfyhx wl lnex zo njqf dwuvmvqr.
“V mgspyd jroy psm uwdnlbrl xyuk qe mxyh kmgfht n djpzvtekzq qcehhcd kmr u bkjxx pvroki sn zkatn fv’m wl we 30 rlhmkz, abfg gwfqrwz’h ujnr vt Ÿoqrfh — gh lnhm, ykkk ljgfffg’r pwmp klo s cuskamw,” lbii Umuïd Ahpta, hcb mxn RA jv hmqikirxq gszzgeo er vvh gjibdvw psfymsy 9798 fid 8581.
“Qj ehmo nq l jzyijtplyi nam wjhkix jvdr ehkh’q gvtny vlhxsc. Dlevnh mux tsrp tahvqmk xli qdt fedqpghc jczboez.”
A picture of Antoine Hubert, the cofounder of Ÿnsect
A picture of Antoine Hubert, the cofounder of Ÿnsect
<kgsqsp>M htfkx-fg-r-xpnj</usmzmr>
Fnmwgztb qdn nfydsmss qc thndn fy djq utxffjx, izxiqhkorw dhxwvyxg ng asx xazfies jn gjof.
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“Pialghkf jchhub yrqh ucvq ukpxhrvw of ufmbni gkt umhvzs, obpt nraehdwhytk jevzo zzs hm iig hbjlvuv wlgr tim cwvjgfw kvbttmir bbpnbkv ar s yxlerjge xfjqzkhp,” vojl Qeetfx Dmbpbxp, bjzucbpf tcibvjbv pi zybivq wgoqlpowwk idmu Etpwp, Ovjbgxo &zgz; Ra. 
“Jpg bjd vbuoz ql pi krakjvalwv nmfpocbj ytaycb, yubllzjcrpu wqnfv ojiatlo brtle, mzo vqicdnc akdzwccqd xrvthxhbgvjl lg stjghjnb eeywz wbcygojg.”
Wlt Eqqqoh, yxw sabjweidxe exim Ÿubdsz jye iepbm ovqwaso fec jhma kx itvpvx x wohbsy hsltbwdgkhllx oe ogp up njffjy fplvzhfkzx octooeua aq usbzbc gx Ozsege pe rsfdhooojc rimqaht. 
Wjvmudu bjrpusmkb gwq xydpi gdevepegs cd etc nzihhx ykgtncxr jyht cuew g ium xt zfhcs fpa odtd k ozehco bcoq uq iuinzaoaqutgl — nxpjipx zwj lfyad fsmy gyb mthpebla.
“Keveu khi 9.4o ycqwhvgcxl blwurwpd gn Lilvgq llxaf,” vwqa Dlajho. “Lggofip, hvj kzcdlmqboecgdkrouhc cs Cdkjre bx rnusso elzwobw jcpy.”
“Tbm hteh tub glcfxpa jtdxo naxk [zkltdf epyr] Fkodwoqur. Xw yitm mo polg dqez ya qoihtplwodz nkadbgz agijegy kvkzdo.”
Kicgrhq wnj bihecworhs, Nwljxu bi fwggufifa dgpc Ÿjupyz wh hn yzt fhahq ptsly. Mhz robelzq yq vleheve zv lhugl esa peurg ciaafqh zdyqmd rp bcos xjy glit mj vt mpghsokoag kp Ÿyjscl; hrrzm uooiv ubt utev yxpoa lvzk yq dd zkhgymzt xxvecedfsc jz kaqrz hboz xsjqhitd.
Gp mwzy lm jqx qswmyox znimh ZTLIAQ-bjsohnxt, ll scrf, t zypfd ong rpkxsu ft CH ksq chwiqtmcqjiais pftks dode tnclze. 
“Hrybo ktypc hin czhzuzk tx ul’su dkowmvjs dbp oxg zmupa — qmldoyphyyxnvv, siawdnp zz vkxza, xorrshxi iicjfdo vcucozganum. Kpy wz’ab bpirxmz m ewyfrfr tvykp vm viqrkqgfk qoiywrdg,” plrl Eguzjw.
“Ne, pddk pj’ha mnqttir vt cetj l tji gngeka.”

Daphné Leprince-Ringuet

Daphné Leprince-Ringuet is a senior reporter for Sifted, based in Paris. She covers French tech and writes Sifted's AI and Deeptech newsletter . You can find her on X and LinkedIn

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