"Plants possess incredible medicinal and cosmetic properties. They often produce valuable molecules in response to various stresses, whether climatic or nutritional. By understanding the metabolic pathways behind their synthesis, we can pilot these processes to increase the concentration of targeted molecules. To achieve this, we developed cutting-edge technologies that offer unprecedented control over environmental conditions. Our innovation, combined with our team's biological expertise, enables us to enhance the chemical composition of plants - reaching up to 10 times the standard concentration in certain species," says Paul-Hector Oliver, Co-founder and CEO of Orius.
The founders of Orius, with Paul-Hector Oliver pictured in the middle
Orius is a French startup specializing in plant-based science, focusing on enhancing plant metabolism for high-quality nutraceuticals and cosmetics. The company's technology is centered around precise control over plant growth conditions to maximize the production of desired compounds. Recently launching Biomebox Ⓡ, a high-precision phytotron, and Biomecell an advanced grow chamber, systems that integrate precise control of environmental factors, including light intensity, temperature, and wind speed. Those indoor farming units allow Orius to propose plant-based ingredients with the highest concentration of specific molecules to clients in cosmetics or nutraceutical industries.
Bacopa monnieri
From berries to high-value nutraceuticals and cosmetics
Paul-Hector's journey into plant science began in the Netherlands, where he worked as an advisor for horticulture and greenhouses, specializing in cannabis and challenging crops like strawberries. While involved in a company focused on urban vertical farming, he pushed the boundaries of plant growth to produce high-quality strawberries with elevated sugar content and achieving significant advancements in yield and quality
"This experience revealed to me the potential of indoor technology to enhance plants and prompted me to explore complex plants and plant-based solutions" Paul-Hector explains. Alongside co-founders Pierre and Jérôme, it led Paul-Hector to the creation of Orius.
The Biomecell where Orius cultivates plants
From research to production
Orius has built an R&D platform featuring 10 phytotron units (Biomebox). The company has also expanded to a 500-square-meter production facility, targeting up to 20 tons of fresh plants per year by the end of the year and 100 tons by 2025. With its laboratory and production units, Orius offers R&D services for customers interested in developing plant-based ingredients or conducting scientific studies in a highly controlled environment. It also provides production services, creating a new reliable supply chain for botanical ingredients. Numerous fruitful collaborations have emerged with major industrial players in cosmetics - where the demand for active plant ingredients is growing -, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical sectors, leading laboratories, and ingredient suppliers.
"Our approach is to maximize the value of any plant we work with. For instance, the ability to increase molecule concentration in cosmetics can significantly enhance the product's effectiveness and market value."
Profitability at the core
However, as he explains, "It's more complicated than it seems, achieving our goals requires extensive research, specialized expertise, and the right technologies, and it won't work for every plant." By optimizing plant metabolism, Paul-Hector and his team are increasing the value of plant extracts, reducing the production volume, and improving the supply chain's overall cost-efficiency. "Enhancing the molecule content in plants significantly increases the value of the extracts. Doubling the concentration of a desired molecule within a plant means industries will need only half the number of plants to produce the same amount of the target compound.
Paul-Hector has also collaborated with the French Space Agency from the outset of Orius for future long-term space missions. "The supply of food will be crucial for extended missions on the Moon or Mars. We are working with the French space agency to create cultivation systems that will meet astronauts' nutritional needs. Just like in cosmetics and nutraceuticals, we are also aiming to increase specific compounds in fruits and vegetables, like vitamin C. Our technology can play a crucial role in future indoor systems, both on Earth and beyond."
For more information:
Orius
Paul-Hector Olivier, Co-founder and CEO
[email protected]
www.orius.co