French startup Orius, specialized in the production of high-value plant-based raw materials, has opened an industrial pilot facility for the controlled cultivation of botanicals. It will deliver high-quality botanical raw materials and ingredients that combine safety with environmental performance to the cosmetic, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors.
Bypassing Botanical Supply Chain Challenges
Orius' pilot facility offers a local, controlled and secure supply to meet the expectations of industry players. According to the company, this bypasses numerous challenges encountered along the traditional botanical supply chain:
- quality,
- standardization,
- risk of adulteration,
- social conditions, and
- environmental impact.
Climate change also exacerbates these uncertainties.
Industrial Scale-up Under Way
With the inauguration of the 500-square-meter production space, Orius significantly increases its production capacity, targeting up to 20 tons of fresh plants per year by the end of this year (2024) and 100 tons by 2025. This new facility provides high performance, comparable to that of phytotrons (enclosed research greenhouses), ensuring optimal product quality, per the company.
The launch of this pilot marks the beginning of Orius' industrialization, with plans for the construction of a larger-scale plant to produce botanical raw materials and ingredients. The future facility, which is projected to produce more than 2,000 tons of fresh plants per year, is already under consideration with local partners.
Consciously Controlled and Optimized Botanical Cultivation
"With our industrial pilot, we will be able to produce significant volumes of plant-based raw materials, paving the way for a new, innovative and high-quality supply chain," said Paul-Hector Oliver, CEO. Pictured: Founders of Orius (below) Pierre Jay, (from L) Paul-Hector Oliver and Jérôme Velociter; ©OriusOrius
As Orius explains, its facility ensures continuous, standardized botanical raw material production by managing all cultivation parameters: temperature, humidity, light and nutrition, while also limiting environmental impact. For example, it incorporates high-efficiency LEDs, an optimized climate control system to reduce energy consumption — for which the company has filed two patents — as well as a water and nutrient recycling, and recirculation system, reducing usage by 95% compared to conventional methods, the company reports.
The facility features cultivation chambers called Biomecells with the ability to recreate the ideal ecosystem, or biome, for each plant, functioning as a controlled microcosm within a cell, or cultivation chamber. According to the company, the performance and flexibility of the technologies developed set Orius apart, as these technologies can not only replicate the natural conditions of plants, but optimize them through advanced environmental control.
Paul-Hector Oliver, CEO of Orius, commented, "Orius' ability to modulate the chemical composition of plants is attracting increasing market attention. With our industrial pilot, we will be able to produce significant volumes of plant-based raw materials, paving the way for a new, innovative and high-quality supply chain."
Building from Past Biomebox Success
Orius' new and future facilities build on its successful launch in 2022 of the Biomebox, a compact phytotron designed for scientific research and small-scale production of plant-based raw materials. Following this, the company expanded its capabilities in 2023 with an R&D platform featuring 10 Biomebox units, offering its services to develop future botanical best sellers.
