Avril

What Avril does

Avril is a French agro-industrial group operating across the oilseed and plant protein value chain. Founded in 1983 as Sofiprotéol by French agricultural producers organized through FOP and renamed Avril in 2007, the company runs 82 industrial sites across 18 countries with 8,478 employees. Its activities are organized around four pillars: primary processing and renewable energies (rapeseed crushing, refining, and biodiesel through Saipol and the Champlor facility, which processes approximately 400,000 tons of seeds per year); consumer food products under brands including Lesieur, Puget, Costa d'Oro, Lesieur Cristal, and Bunica; specialty/renewable chemistry through Oleon, Oleo100, Evertree, and OleosynBio; and agricultural solutions spanning animal nutrition (Sanders, MIXSCIENCE, Feed Alliance), amino acid fermentation (Eurolysine), and plant-based proteins (Sunbloom Proteins, Hari&Co, Olatein).

The company operates an enterprise B2B go-to-market with direct sales to food manufacturers, biofuel producers, animal feed companies, and agricultural cooperatives, complemented by consumer brand distribution through mass-market retail. Avril monetizes through sales of processed agricultural products (refined oils, biodiesel, amino acids, proteins, oleochemicals) and consumer packaged goods. Structurally, the company is organized as a SCA (Société en Commandite par Actions) owned by French farmer organizations, with all profits reinvested into the French oils and proteins sector rather than distributed to external shareholders. Eurolysine, the group's amino acid business, is operated as a 55/45 joint venture with Bpifrance's SPI fund and is the only fermented lysine plant in Europe at 100,000 tons annual capacity.

Recent strategic activity has been aggressive: the 2024 acquisition of Metex Nøøvistago's lysine operations formed Eurolysine; the February 2026 acquisition of Champlor from Valtris added approximately 400,000 tons per year of rapeseed capacity; the June 2026 acquisition of SPBL from InVivo Grains extended port logistics; a €70M rescue package was deployed jointly with the French state to sustain Eurolysine amid Chinese dumping; and an anti-absorption complaint was filed with the European Commission. A funding round of approximately $1.22 billion was completed in October 2025 to support this consolidation program.

Name

Avril

Legal name

Avril SCA

Website

https://groupeavril.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Avril is a French agro-industrial group operating across the oilseed and plant protein value chain, serving food manufacturers, biofuel producers, animal nutrition companies, and consumer markets through 82 industrial sites and brands including Lesieur, Oleon, and Eurolysine across 18 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oilseed Processing and Agro-Industrial Manufacturing

NAICS

Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Frying Oils & Foodservice Oil Blends Manufacturing (AFAKAEAI)

Keywords

• Vegetable oil processing
• Biodiesel production
• Animal feed ingredients
• Plant protein ingredients
• Renewable energy feedstocks

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vegetable oils and proteins: First transformation of agricultural raw materials (rapeseed, sunflower, other oilseeds) into refined vegetable oils, proteins, and animal feed ingredients. Revenue generated through sale of processed agricultural products to food manufacturers, biofuel producers, and animal nutrition companies.
2. Amino acids for animal nutrition: Production and sale of lysine and fermented amino acids for animal feed through Eurolysine joint venture, serving the European livestock industry.
3. Biodiesel and renewable energies: Production of biodiesel from vegetable oils, supporting sustainable mobility and renewable energy objectives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Avril is a French industrial group that processes oilseeds (primarily rapeseed and sunflower) into refined vegetable oils, plant proteins, and biodiesel. It produces amino acids (lysine) for the European animal feed sector through the Eurolysine joint venture, and markets consumer food products (cooking oils, condiments, plant-based proteins) under brands such as Lesieur and Puget. The group also develops biobased oleochemical ingredients for industrial applications through its Oleon subsidiary.

Product overview

Avril is a French industrial group operating as a diversified agro-industrial company with multiple subsidiaries and brands. The company is organized around four core activities: (1) Première Transformation & Énergies Renouvelables (Primary Processing & Renewable Energies) - focused on rapeseed crushing, refining, and biodiesel production through Saipol and the Champlor plant; (2) Grande Consommation (Consumer Products) - edible oils and food products marketed under brands including Lesieur, Puget, Soléou, Costa d'Oro, and Lesieur Cristal; (3) Spécialités/Chimie Renouvelable (Specialties/Renewable Chemistry) - biobased ingredients like Oleon, OleosynBio, Evertree, Oleo100, and OleoZe for industrial applications; and (4) Solutions pour l'Agriculture (Agricultural Solutions) - animal nutrition and agricultural products through Sanders, MIXSCIENCE, Feed Alliance, and Terrial. The portfolio also includes Eurolysine (amino acid fermentation for animal feed), Sunbloom Proteins and Hari&Co (plant-based proteins), and various international subsidiaries across Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and France. The company reinvests all profits into the French oils and vegetable proteins sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lesieur: Leading vegetable oil brand in France
• Puget
• Bunica
• Oleon
• Oleo100
• Saipol
• Eurolysine
• Sanders
• Lesieur Cristal
• Evertree
• Hari&Co

Products and services

• Refined Vegetable Oils (rapeseed, sunflower)

Quantifiable outcome

• 400,000 tons of rapeseed processed annually at Champlor facility
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and acquisition.

• European CommissioncoreOthers · 13 February 2026Eurolysine (joint venture between Avril and Bpifrance) filed an anti-dumping complaint with the European Commission against Chinese lysine imports, requesting investigation into alleged price undercutting. The Commission opened an anti-absorption investigation expected to last six to nine months.
• Nareva ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2026Moroccan renewable energy developer that designed and built a 2MWp solar photovoltaic plant at Lesieur Cristal's Aïn Harrouda manufacturing facility in Morocco, supporting sustainable industrial operations.
• Metex NøøvistagoacquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2024Acquired Metex Nøøvistago's operations and R&D activities to establish Eurolysine, Europe-focused amino acid producer, approved by the Paris Commercial Court in partnership with the SPI fund.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bunge Global: Pure-play global oilseed processor and vegetable oil producer. Directly comparable to Avril's Saipol rapeseed crushing, refining, and biodiesel operations, with significant European presence overlapping Avril's home market.
• AAK (AarhusKarlshamn): Specialty oils and fats company with strong European presence, serving food manufacturers and personal care customers. Highly comparable to Avril's specialty oils segment and direct overlap in industrial frying oils and food-grade specialty fats.

Broad incumbents

• Wilmar International: Asia's largest agribusiness with major oilseed crushing, edible oil refining, and oleochemicals (through joint ventures). Closely comparable to Avril's vegetable oil processing and Oleon renewable chemistry operations, though focused on Asian geographies.
• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global agribusiness giant with major oilseed processing, refined oils, biodiesel/renewable fuels, and animal nutrition businesses. Closest publicly-traded peer to Avril's full vertical platform from oilseeds to specialty ingredients.
• Louis Dreyfus Company: Privately-held global merchandiser and processor of oilseeds, grains, and other agricultural commodities. Directly comparable to Avril's oilseed crushing and refining activities, with similar vertical integration into specialty food ingredients.
• Cargill: Largest privately-held global agribusiness with extensive oilseed crushing, refining, and trading operations. Directly comparable to Avril's Saipol/champLor crushing activities and animal nutrition ingredients, but vastly larger in scale and global reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1238517
• Xx.com/Avril

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Avril