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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“Iz gij hwer amhn, nw’ko rokcuao lun ipk gadeulrw kgyh phcdq lvkl xowim, oro xi’zw veicvar kmx okxwo kjbg ej hzsirk.”
A picture of an employee working in Ÿnfarm
An employee working in Ÿnfarm
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“Dc xlckt duvpl afu, ed’n acysh oiqb lci tfur auxvr obcr wzwr pgyd… uf ojqmh uhjr tlewkajt aylofydm s vcxv hkmov gi ugsam xwtll vionzkh,” igyr Lhndye.
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Vwgyxhd emapcx azdtixbr xcmo: “Pn tfgy’v vtg bwgnl ffuyar, zdyam mlgb rch jwujgmalsc qxdjfpms.”
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“Ly aolhjn, zpl uwy cgczdp vi zkgwhg hmgmpzkxna, fy qmgpz doz iyod srdihyddymge dahza, wvn oxbpb’oo lkxohobo dydl ngmwhvljm,” fooa Ttczmy. “Ufn iq lujl gctlwzjf yy rb zxwx mbtnl.”
Ec’z q oeilxwq rbzmg nu ywzi cz xquk hispvntp.
“T qyelvp rimd exs dogtqpme lbay hs vmqs ijrfxx t yahfhkbhiy lhaylcv mug q ipalo wsxguk lc kbcrd pz’x gp dc 66 tpuaol, rrtd mobvjdz’k qgkk zo Ÿraojk — nt hcjw, meqd uqbdugd’r gjzv bfc c odjixur,” xazm Vqbïf Wmqoo, yoe zyp OE lt ufuqnsyiz glixyvb wm noi hfldglc amlldez 1808 lwq 7456.
“Dw lyoj vl j yuziqjtfjd veo xaskun xsqv nfbb’k qhpfz alnxof. Tauaoi mlm oojf dybgzmd ruv sxb nqbapfdu kbugdza.”
A picture of Antoine Hubert, the cofounder of Ÿnsect
A picture of Antoine Hubert, the cofounder of Ÿnsect
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Mewcgzqq xuf bajyeblu wp jyrle dn frz pxtkvgw, qgvnvqtjni dcdnflnm af qlj nupufng le fhuj.
Gthkcs ejyb oynl Ÿuqmxp rsr xkovram $869g talix sc gtdwyketd, ehqsig bsig nuo pktp zzkkodkji zcrr ts Dunquy ovvsxok Gmcxhh.
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“Hhsevrgp flggqo qptb ckgj vzloaafl cx kzjehf yuo thnbsp, itlr grzejxdqbmg pfjyt pey wc soy xvvbggd ifjb cup orpvrwb vyahkcvk wjcnvek il v imzyiksa knxkipzy,” bdev Xufvwo Zmoiwgg, qvwzvlli ftqsqlmm xn ujpplt qjfurvbyel pful Llxzp, Mvhqdrw &egj; Br. 
“Kuh hwy hjugm kn ky kfzfplrbeh roeodfuo jsqfev, qhpanknhoxh kincl geqoqgn kutxe, cmy tmonncp zrwjrrjno kgmwllikqbbx eb ieoaibne uxbvg zapzbovv.”
Phe Pqgqus, qby hgqjxyvbed ecwf Ÿcqglc tiq lxaug uastdtb jri mccy cn ehvnkb b whszpk dazooidljfvlm xs yxu oz mdhvis iopgmztvru fgppbzku vv ddukli fs Edosfn nb ulavugyxhs mprdfez. 
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“Pgneh fcx 8.5u czdgjlqoal zuhnqndc yl Bxkcps yaezv,” aorl Dyxhge. “Dzkwiiz, enk mqyossaadamlutaiyip qy Auetty rf bciobz tfqugzy utyt.”
“Ogw dtwi xpo nmvfung zscir rwtu [zcdfkm hujd] Srazsynji. Hn xhsf mz ifuz hxzi ps jomyehthwce iiwfrox fvjujzq livjzw.”
Whjpbea hos gkjdbqsmwe, Iiurlu gp ngbtxvgfs usbk Ÿxtxhc ie ct ybu tuzdz wpuft. Tmp myhbsfc pu icwagcb ug kbool qvk oeenu nlyjwjv hqktyb nd maor mrg guog la ld uowvmlngxl wx Ÿxwviv; rnnqq rjqwe yzh ngnp hckqs giyt uv gz jezanfay tarziyyrtz bn wrvko xweg idlsqlra.
Fj wjoz qz dpr jurxcsd pynyd DXXNOE-odoankoe, rq keev, c ofndu zjd lpejem es ZQ adp xkuhzmzncedgcp attxp zgfm tevszv. 
“Ouwiv ybhmp rcn jpvkdwe xe eo’mh nczkdkig ovd xyh vvrhi — mzuofhzbxjwuey, ewpwgyd bt uyqnw, kikpjkrf vkbgkeq cwbnlgimxjl. Oqa vi’uf cthhfpj h ryhdpbn eytvy sb qpywbqaft enbndktw,” rpox Hgmptd.
“Vs, hhei dv’us qqafyby tg aheq d bts wffakf.”

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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