What E-nema GmbH does

E-nema GmbH (legal name: e-nema Gesellschaft für Biotechnologie und biologischen Pflanzenschutz mbH) is a privately held German biotechnology company headquartered in Schwentinental, Schleswig-Holstein, founded in 1998. The company researches, develops, and produces entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) for biological plant protection. It cultivates five nematode species — Steinernema feltiae, Steinernema carpocapsae, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis downesi, and Phasmarhabditis californica — in industrial-scale bioreactors totalling more than 100,000 liters, and sells 15+ branded SKUs (nemaplus®, nematop®, nemastar®, nemaflor®, nema-care®, nema-green®, nemapom®, nemamax®, Tp-Nema®, nemycel®, dianem®, Asselfrei®, nemaplus® Ameisenfrei, nemaplus® Depot) targeting pests including fungus gnats, black vine weevil larvae, leatherjackets, white grubs, codling moth, oak processionary moth, and western corn rootworm. Proprietary IP includes the Ecophyll® 100% organic, residue-free formulation (OMRI and FiBL certified) introduced in 2024, replacing polyacrylate gel carriers, plus ISO 9001:2015 quality management certification.

The company operates three revenue streams: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce via shop.e-nema.de for hobby gardeners and smaller professional users, with unit prices generally between €5 and €25 and shipping from Germany across Europe; (2) professional/B2B distribution through a network of partners and consultants in more than 30 countries across all continents, handling larger-quantity SKUs; and (3) contract fermentation and biotechnology production services (Auftragsfermentation) using its industrial bioreactor footprint for external clients. Customer segments span home gardeners, commercial greenhouse operators, nurseries, fruit and vegetable growers, sports and golf turf managers, municipalities (notably for oak processionary moth control via Tp-Nema®), and aquaculture-adjacent research consortia. The free e-nema Academy (launched 2026), available in German and English with Spanish, Polish, and French planned, supports customer education and adoption. The company is led by CEO Tillmann Frank, with founder Ralf-Udo Ehlers as shareholder. No venture capital or private equity investment has been disclosed; only a 2015 EISMEA grant (~$56K) appears in the funding record.

Name

E-nema GmbH

Legal name

e-nema Gesellschaft für Biotechnologie und biologischen Pflanzenschutz mbH

Website

https://e-nema.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

E-nema GmbH is a privately held German biotech company that produces entomopathogenic nematodes for biological plant protection, selling 15+ branded products through e-commerce, a 30+ country distributor network, and contract fermentation services to hobby gardeners, growers, municipalities, and turf managers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biological Crop Protection

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532)

akta.pro primary industry

Biological Pest Control (Beneficial Insects, Nematodes, Microbials) (AFABAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbial Bionematicides (AFABAEAD), Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing (AFABAEAM), Microbial/Biological Control (Beneficial Bacteria/Fungi/Viruses) (HSAMALAB), Eco-Friendly/Organic Outdoor Pest Control (Botanical, Beneficials, IPM) (HSAIANAJ)

Keywords

• Biological plant protection
• Entomopathogenic nematodes
• Biocontrol products
• Agricultural biotechnology
• Integrated pest management

Headquarters

HQ city

Klausdorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Nematode Product Sales: Direct sales of biological plant protection products based on entomopathogenic nematodes through e-commerce shop. Products include formulations for various pests targeting home gardeners, professionals, and municipalities. Revenue generated through unit product sales with pricing based on nematode quantity and formulation type.
2. Contract Fermentation Services: Biotechnology contract production services including contract fermentation, product development, and process development. The company offers industrial-scale fermentation capabilities with technical equipment for external clients.
3. Professional/B2B Distribution: Sales to professional users through distribution partners and specialized trade in over 30 countries. Professional products sold in larger quantities through specialized agricultural and horticultural distributors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

E-nema GmbH is the world's leading producer of entomopathogenic nematodes used for biological pest control. The company manufactures and distributes more than 15 branded biocontrol products based on five nematode species, formulated for different application contexts. It also offers contract fermentation and bioprocess services on industrial-scale bioreactors exceeding 100,000 liters of capacity.

Product overview

E-nema GmbH is a biotechnology company specializing in the research, development, and production of entomopathogenic nematodes for biological plant protection. The product portfolio spans over 15 branded nematode products targeting a wide range of insect pests (fungus gnats, vine weevils, grubs, leatherjackets, ants, caterpillars, oak processionary moth, codling moth, western corn rootworm, phorid flies, woodlice) across hobby gardener and professional user segments. Key products include nemaplus® (Steinernema feltiae for fungus gnats), nematop® (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora for vine weevil larvae), nemastar® (Steinernema carpocapsae for leatherjackets and caterpillars), nema-green® (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora for white grubs), nemapom® (Steinernema feltiae for codling moth), nema-care® (for box tree moth caterpillars), nemamax® (Heterorhabditis downesi for cold-temperature applications), Tp-Nema® (for oak processionary moth in municipalities), dianem® (for western corn rootworm), nemycel® (for mushroom cultivation pests), and Asselfrei® (for woodlice). The company also offers the proprietary EcoPhyll® organic formulation technology (replacing polyacrylate gels) and the free e-nema Academy online learning platform. Services include an online shop with Dr. Nema digital advisory, contract fermentation/biotech production, and B2B distribution partnerships in over 30 countries. The company also manufactures AquaNemix sprayers for nematode application.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• nemaplus: Product line featuring Steinernema feltiae nematodes for controlling fungus gnats, thrips and other pests.
• nematop
• nemastar
• nemaflor
• nema-care
• nema-green
• nemapom
• nemamax
• Tp-Nema
• nemycel
• dianem
• Asselfrei
• Ecophyll
• e-nema Academy

Products and services

• nemaplus®

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 88% energy savings in media sterilization through UHT technology
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Premium Partner Schleswig-HolsteinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremium partner of the Schleswig-Holstein economic development initiative (partner-sh.de). Association supporting companies in the Schleswig-Holstein region with promotional and networking opportunities.
• EU Schleswig-HolsteinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean Union co-financed programs through the Schleswig-Holstein state government, supporting regional economic development and innovation.
• IBMA (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal association representing the biological control industry. E-nema is a member actively participating in industry advocacy for biocontrol adoption and sustainable agriculture policies including EU SUR regulation support.
• DELIFEED Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research project for sustainable aquaculture. E-nema hosted the group meeting in 2026 as part of the project focused on biological solutions in aquaculture.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Koppert Biological Systems: Dutch global leader in biological crop protection with a broad portfolio spanning beneficial insects, mites, microbials, and nematodes. Comparable because it sells nematode-based biocontrol products to the same professional horticulture and agriculture segments, but at much greater scale and portfolio breadth than E-nema.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: Global agrichemical incumbent that markets Nemasys entomopathogenic nematode products (originating from the Becker Underwood acquisition). Overlaps with E-nema on nematode-based pest control in agriculture and turf, but competes as one product line within a much larger crop-protection portfolio.
• Biobest Group: Belgian biocontrol leader specializing in bumblebee pollination, beneficial insects/mites, and biopesticides including nematodes. Comparable as a major European biocontrol supplier with overlapping customer segments (greenhouse growers, professional horticulture), though Biobest's portfolio is broader than E-nema's nematode-focused offering.

Direct peers

• Andermatt Biocontrol: Swiss producer and distributor of biocontrol products including entomopathogenic nematodes for professional agriculture and home-and-garden markets. Closely comparable as a specialist European biocontrol company with overlapping nematode product lines and similar customer mix of professionals, hobby gardeners, and municipalities.
• Certis Biologicals: US-based biological crop protection company selling biopesticides and biocontrol products including nematode-based solutions to professional growers. Directly comparable as a dedicated biologicals specialist targeting similar use cases (soil-dwelling pests, foliar pests) with overlapping channel structure through distribution partners.
• BioWorks: North American biological crop protection company with a portfolio that includes nematode-based products alongside biofungicides and biostimulants. Comparable as a focused biologicals provider serving professional horticulture and agriculture, with similar mid-size scale and distribution-driven go-to-market.
• Bionema: UK/Sweden-based biocontrol company specializing in entomopathogenic nematode products for professional turf, horticulture, and agriculture markets. Highly comparable as a niche nematode-focused specialist with similar target pests, customer types, and distribution model to E-nema.
• M2i Life Sciences: French biocontrol company developing pheromone-based and biological pest control products for agriculture and forestry. Comparable as a European specialist biologicals provider addressing similar professional and municipal customers, though focused on a different (pheromone) primary modality.

Emerging players

• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Danish global biotech platform producing microbial enzymes and agricultural biologicals at industrial scale. Comparable as a fermentation-driven agricultural biologicals producer with overlapping bioreactor technology, though Novonesis operates at vastly greater scale and across a wider microbial product portfolio.

Others

• Suterra: US-based leader in pheromone-based pest control for agriculture and specialty crops. Comparable only as a non-chemical pest control specialist competing for the same grower budget allocated to biocontrol, but using a fundamentally different (mating disruption) technology than E-nema's nematodes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bionuetzling
• Facebookfacebook.com/bionuetzling
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/e-nema-gesellschaft-f%C3%BCr-biotechnologie-und-biologischen-pflanzenschutz-mbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/e_nema_biotech

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about E-nema GmbH