Orius, a promising start-up based in Escalquens near Toulouse, is revolutionizing plant processing by offering innovative solutions in the industrial sector. With the recent launch of their industrial pilot, Orius is committed to utilizing the natural wealth of plants, providing exceptional quality botanical raw materials. By leveraging advanced indoor farming techniques, the company innovates by optimizing environmental parameters to maximize the beneficial properties of plants, thus remaining at the heart of digital transformation. This approach opens new perspectives for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries, redefining the future use of natural molecules.
The Toulouse-based start-up Orius, located in Escalquens, is reinventing the use of natural plants through its innovative indoor farming technique. This method allows for the cultivation of plants with concentrated molecules, essential for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. By finely adjusting parameters like temperature and humidity, Orius can amplify the biochemical properties of each plant by up to 10 times the average. With a 500 m² industrial pilot already in place, the company aims to produce 100 tons of fresh plants by 2025. Moreover, its partnership with CNES and a cosmetic industry player opens new horizons for space agriculture and the Biomebox.
a new breath for the botanical industry
In Escalquens, near Toulouse, the start-up Orius relies on innovation to give a new dimension to the use of natural plants in the industrial sector. Thanks to its industrial pilot inaugurated at the end of September, Orius aims to transform the way high-quality plant species are cultivated. On a 500 m² surface, the company replicates a controlled ecosystem where plants can express their unique properties without resorting to traditional agricultural practices. This approach specifically targets the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries, which are looking for natural molecules for their products.
While chemical techniques have long been favored to exploit these molecules, Orius focuses on methods based on indoor farming to reactivate their natural potential. By meticulously adjusting parameters such as temperature, humidity, or nutrition, researchers manage to multiply the effectiveness of certain plants, up to 10 times for some species. This new perspective rekindles hope for producers who wish to reconcile industrial efficiency and environmental respect. It is a response to the growing expectations of consumers for a more sustainable and ecosystem-friendly production.
technology and agriculture serving innovation
The Biomebox, true cultivation boxes, embody Orius’s strategy in technology and agriculture. These innovative equipment allow for precise management of cultivation conditions, relying on a patented LED system and an advanced climate device. Each project developed within these Biomebox is custom-made, according to the specific needs of clients. Approximately 70 plants are currently cultivated there, responding to about thirty client projects. The idea is to produce pure plant raw materials, without pesticides, by introducing only small insects to counter pests. In collaboration with CNES, Orius is also exploring the space applications of its technologies, thus affirming its pioneering role in the sector.
ambitious prospects for increased production
With an industrial pilot in place, Orius aims for a significant increase in its production to reach 20 tons of fresh plants by the end of 2024, and 100 tons by 2025. The development of these projects is supported by a planned funding round, which will finance the opening of an industrial site of 20,000 m² before 2028. This optimization of production capacities reflects Orius’s ambitions to establish itself in the market for high-quality botanical ingredients. Currently, the company collaborates with renowned industrial players, particularly in the cosmetic sector, having already secured agreements promising 10 million euros in annual production by 2028. Co-founded by Paul-Hector Oliver, Jérôme Velociter, and Pierre Jay, Orius is at the forefront of biotechnology applied to indoor agriculture.
