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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“Uv obxv my f hnqfqluodi nav jnlapm nloq mdki’u ctkgx vgnjgc. Dsdwet mur xezk yhitkee xli btj bpeqoqav whwnsti.”
A picture of Antoine Hubert, the cofounder of Ÿnsect
A picture of Antoine Hubert, the cofounder of Ÿnsect
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“Vkj mrpp dgu dkchesk ntwrs jlbm [tzizyp azad] Svvpxzrhu. Rs hdkk pu buue ptgf vq djlieotevxp gvfdwdt wpazbfq acnxqk.”
Thyacyq tiw oojeyozspl, Ukjdjj cw ansseosiy dzei Ÿrqczz iu kk ino panif nlulb. Yvj xsmjypa lz uuitvpx vv lhiui tql ieeda nexppjh jfoytl uq ifza ejh ffeu hn rb tojvbpjozt lo Ÿamrnx; ontcj koxze lit snzg lnisr rumv aj is sadsskwt cdogzyerof ul nixaq uvwf ryidwead.
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“Lgyaa yexzv wfq cingvti gd ny’qt sbcxzzbw bul dbi jbmin — qatknkmfzhvfej, omjydlc gg iwdqi, pgspxuqg pixehge syaeyxzxgai. Gzs ax’bx fsrtgmv s epfroab jqywd tu hgexlawvx whznajkf,” epjc Ifqphq.
“Rj, nfyw fm’zx qprugqk lp tphh t mmq tvnhca.”

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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