Ynsect
Ynsect was a French insect-farming startup (founded 2011) that produced insect-based protein ingredients for petfood, animal feed, human nutrition, and fertilizer markets via vertical mealworm farming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersFontaine, France
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ynsect does
Ynsect was a French insect-farming startup founded in 2011 and headquartered in Fontaine, France, that produced insect-based ingredients for animal feed (petfood and backyard chicken feed), human nutrition, and fertilizers. Its core technology was large-scale vertical farming of mealworms, concentrated in a flagship production facility in the Somme region of France that was intended to deliver industrial-scale insect protein but ultimately failed to scale as planned. The company's primary commercial segment was petfood and animal feed, with secondary use cases in human food ingredients and insect-derived fertilizers.
Ynsect pursued a horizontal segmentation strategy, selling insect-protein ingredients through direct sales to manufacturers in the pet food, animal feed, and fertilizer industries. Pricing was not publicly disclosed, and no named enterprise customer logos are available in the source data. The company expanded its addressable market through acquisitions of Protifarm in April 2021 and Nebraska-based Jord Producers in March 2022, the latter providing a foothold in the US backyard chicken and petfood markets.
Over its operational lifetime, Ynsect raised nearly $600M from institutional and strategic investors — including Astanor Ventures, Bpifrance, Crédit Agricole, the European Commission, and FootPrint Coalition — achieving unicorn status at a valuation exceeding $600M. Despite this capital base and regulatory milestones including AAFCO authorization for defatted mealworm proteins in dog food in 2024, the company entered administration and was judicially liquidated in December 2025 after failing to remain solvent. The collapse is attributed in source materials to strategic missteps, market challenges, and capital investments — most notably the Somme factory — that were misaligned with market demand.
Ynsect firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ynsect
- Legal name
- Ynsect
- Website
- https://ynsect.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Ynsect was a French insect-farming startup (founded 2011) that produced insect-based protein ingredients for petfood, animal feed, human nutrition, and fertilizer markets via vertical mealworm farming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ynsect industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insect Protein Ingredients
- NAICS
- Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Insect Farming (Crickets, Mealworms, Black Soldier Fly) (AFAEAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Insect Protein Ingredients (Cricket, Black Soldier Fly, Mealworm) (AFAJAHAG), Insect & Live Feed (Crickets, Mealworms, Feeder Roaches) (AFADAFAM), Insect-Based Protein Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Ynsect is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fontaine
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ynsect business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Insect-based Ingredients: Ynsect produced insect-based ingredients for animal feed, human nutrition, and fertilizers. Revenue was generated through the sale of these insect protein products to various market segments.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Ynsect product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ynsect produced insect-based ingredients — primarily derived from mealworms — for animal feed, pet food, human nutrition, and agricultural fertilizers. Operations centered on large-scale vertical insect farming, with a flagship facility in the Somme region of France and additional mealworm production in Nebraska via acquired Jord Producers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Insect-based protein ingredients for animal feed Mealworm-derived protein ingredients produced through vertical insect farming, sold to animal feed manufacturers for use in livestock and poultry feed applications.
- Defatted mealworm protein for dog food AAFCO-authorized defatted mealworm protein ingredient for use in commercial dog food applications, positioned as a hypoallergenic and sustainable alternative protein.
- Mealworm products for backyard chicken feed Mealworm products for the U.S. backyard chicken feed market, distributed through Ynsect's acquired Nebraska-based subsidiary Jord Producers.
- Insect-based ingredients for human nutrition Insect-based ingredients targeted at human food applications, supported by EU Novel Food authorizations as a regulatory enabler for the edible insects market.
- Insect-derived fertilizer products Fertilizer products derived from insect production, positioned as sustainable agricultural inputs sourced as byproducts of mealworm farming.
Companies that use Ynsect
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ynsect technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Ynsect partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Jord ProducerscoreYnsect expanded into the US market by acquiring Nebraska-based Jord Producers, a company specializing in raising and distributing mealworms. This acquisition supported Ynsect's strategy to grow its presence in North America and enter the backyard chicken market while also supporting the petfood market.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ynsect competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Protix: Dutch insect protein company producing black soldier fly larvae for animal feed and pet food. Closest European competitor to Ynsect with a similar vertical-farming approach and B2B ingredient distribution model.
- InnovaFeed: French insect protein producer farming black soldier fly for animal feed, pet food, and fertilizer. Headquartered in France and serving the same end markets and customer segments as Ynsect.
- Entomo Farms: North America's largest cricket-based protein ingredient producer for human food and pet food. Comparable vertically integrated insect protein operation with a similar B2B ingredient model.
- EnviroFlight: US-based insect protein producer specializing in black soldier fly larvae for animal feed and aquaculture. Direct North American peer operating alongside Ynsect's Jord Producers subsidiary.
- Aspire Food Group: North American insect farming company producing cricket-based ingredients for human and pet food. Comparable in technology stack, end-market focus, and scale to Ynsect's mealworm operations.
- AgriProtein: South Africa-based insect protein company producing black soldier fly-based products for animal feed. A pioneering insect protein company that has itself faced commercial headwinds similar to Ynsect's.
- Hexafly: Irish insect protein company producing black soldier fly-based ingredients for animal feed and pet food. Comparable European peer with overlapping technology approach and target end markets.
- Nutrition Technologies: Singapore-based insect protein producer using black soldier fly larvae for animal feed and fertilizer. Comparable vertically integrated operation serving similar applications in the Asia-Pacific region.
Others
- Bühler Group: Swiss technology and equipment provider supplying insect processing technology to insect protein producers including Ynsect. An adjacent enabler of the insect protein industry rather than a direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Cargill: Global agribusiness and animal nutrition incumbent that has invested in insect protein partnerships and competes broadly in alternative protein ingredients. Represents the large incumbent threat and potential acquirer profile in the space where Ynsect operated.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Ynsect social profiles
Digital presenceYnsect financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ynsect leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Ynsect subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ynsect funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds14 records
Investors28 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ynsect M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ynsect
What does Ynsect do?
Ynsect produced insect-based ingredients — primarily derived from mealworms — for animal feed, pet food, human nutrition, and agricultural fertilizers. Operations centered on large-scale vertical insect farming, with a flagship facility in the Somme region of France and additional mealworm production in Nebraska via acquired Jord Producers.
Is Ynsect a public or private company?
Ynsect is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently closed.
When was Ynsect founded?
Ynsect was founded in 2011. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Ynsect based?
Ynsect is headquartered in Fontaine, France, in the Europe region.
How does Ynsect make money?
One revenue line is on record: insect-based Ingredients.
Who are Ynsect's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Protix, InnovaFeed, Entomo Farms, EnviroFlight, Aspire Food Group, AgriProtein, Hexafly and Nutrition Technologies. Bühler Group is listed as an others. Cargill is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ynsect have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ynsect.
What industry is Ynsect in?
Ynsect's product category is Insect Protein Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAIAI, Insect Farming (Crickets, Mealworms, Black Soldier Fly), with a secondary code of AFAJAHAG, Insect Protein Ingredients (Cricket, Black Soldier Fly, Mealworm). Its NAICS code is 32531 and its SIC code is 2000.