BioFirst Group
BioFirst Group is a Belgium-based global leader in biological crop protection, pollination, and plant health, serving greenhouse and open-field growers across 70+ countries through four brands: Biobest, BioWorks, Biotrop, and Plant Products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersWesterlo, Belgium
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What BioFirst Group does
BioFirst Group (legally Biobest Group NV) is a Belgium-headquartered, privately-held biological crop protection and plant health company operating across 70+ countries through approximately 40 subsidiaries and 3,100+ employees, including 600+ commercial and technical advisors. Formed in 2024 as a rebrand of Biobest Group, the company operates four core brands: Biobest (beneficial insects, mites, nematodes, bumblebee pollination, biopesticides, and high-tech IPM for horticulture), BioWorks (biopesticides and biostimulants for horticulture and specialty crops, now expanding into Europe), Plant Products (a one-stop-shop horticulture distribution platform in North America and central Europe), and Biotrop (open-field row-crop biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilizers, and inoculants, primarily in Brazil and Latin America). The group originated as Biobest in 1987, founded by Belgian veterinarian Roland de Jonghe to commercialize bumblebee pollination for greenhouse tomato growers.
BioFirst's underlying technology spans living macro-organisms (pollinators and natural enemies for pest control), microbial fermentation and industrial multiplication of beneficial bacteria (centered at Biotrop's BioOracle R&D facility in São Paulo), and biostimulant/biofertilizer formulations targeting biological nitrogen fixation and soil health. The proprietary stack includes high-tech IPM monitoring and scouting tools, automated biology dispensers for distributing beneficial mites and insects, and partnerships in pollination robotics (Arugga). The company invests in R&D-backed innovation, evidenced by consecutive Bernard Blum Awards (2020, 2022) and the GreenTech Innovation Award (2022).
Revenue is generated through B2B one-time product sales (biological inputs, beneficial organisms, bumblebee hives, crop protection and nutrition products) supplemented by embedded technical advisory services. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining a 600+ advisor direct-sales force with a tiered channel network of national distributors, regional dealers, and retail partners, plus e-commerce storefronts. Customer segments split between protected horticulture (greenhouse vegetables, berries, ornamentals) and open-field agriculture (soybean, corn, sugarcane, wheat). The company is majority-owned by Belgian diversified holding Floridienne Group (since 2007), with institutional investors including Sofina, Mérieux, Tikehau Capital, Unigrains, M&G Investments, Sofiproteol, GIC, and Aqua Capital.
BioFirst Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BioFirst Group
- Legal name
- Biobest Group NV
- Website
- https://biofirstgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- BioFirst Group is a Belgium-based global leader in biological crop protection, pollination, and plant health, serving greenhouse and open-field growers across 70+ countries through four brands: Biobest, BioWorks, Biotrop, and Plant Products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BioFirst Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Biologicals
- NAICS
- Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253), Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beneficial Insect & Predator Releases (Biocontrol) (HSAMALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biostimulants & Plant Health Biologicals (Microbial/Non-microbial) (AFABAEAK), Enzymes & Industrial Biotechnology Inputs (Enzymes, Microbial Strains, Fermentation Aids) (EUAAAIAL), Organic & Biological Input Retail (Biostimulants, Biopesticides, OMRI) (AFABAJAK)
Keywords
Where BioFirst Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westerlo
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices28 records
Markets served
BioFirst Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Biological Crop Protection Products: Sale of biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilizers, and inoculants for crop protection and plant health across horticulture and open-field markets.
- Pollination Services: Bumblebee pollination services for greenhouse growers, providing natural pollination to ensure efficient cross-pollination of crops.
- Beneficial Organisms: Sale of beneficial insects, mites, and nematodes for biological pest control.
- Crop Inputs Distribution: Plant Products division distributes comprehensive array of inputs including crop protection, nutrition, seeds, and high-tech management tools to horticulture sector.
- Technical Advisory Services: Expert technical advice and support provided alongside products through dedicated team of advisors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
BioFirst Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BioFirst Group is a global producer and supplier of biological crop protection, pollination, and plant health solutions for horticulture (greenhouse) and open-field agriculture. The company manufactures and distributes beneficial insects, mites, nematodes, bumblebees for pollination, biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilizers, and inoculants through four core brands: Biobest, BioWorks, Plant Products, and Biotrop, supported by 600+ technical advisors worldwide.
Product overview
BioFirst Group is a global leader in biological crop protection, health and pollination, offering a comprehensive portfolio of sustainable agricultural solutions through four core sub-brands. The group provides a unified platform of biological products and services spanning both horticulture (greenhouse) and open-field agricultural markets. Biobest is the core brand for beneficial insects, mites, nematodes, pollination, biopesticides, and high-tech IPM solutions for greenhouse growers. BioWorks specializes in biopesticides and biostimulants for disease and insect control in horticulture. Plant Products serves as the distribution division providing crop protection, nutrition, high-tech tools, and seeds across North America and Europe. Biotrop focuses on open-field row crops with biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilizers, and inoculants. Together, these brands form an integrated biological crop management ecosystem addressing the full spectrum of grower needs from greenhouse vegetables to open-field commodity crops.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Biobest: Leader in biological crop protection, pollination and expert advice for horticulture. Focuses on greenhouse vegetables, berries, soft fruits, ornamental plants and flowers.
- BioWorks
- Biotrop
- Plant Products
Products and services
- Biobest Sub-brand providing biological crop protection and pollination solutions for greenhouse horticulture, including beneficial insects, mites, nematodes, bumblebees for natural pollination, biopesticides, high-tech IPM solutions, and application technologies. Targets greenhouse vegetable, berry, soft fruit, ornamental plant, and flower growers.
- BioWorks Sub-brand specializing in biopesticides and biostimulants for horticulture and open-field specialty crops, with disease and insect control solutions including formulations for root diseases, powdery mildew, Botrytis, whitefly, aphids, and thrips, designed to be compatible with beneficial organisms.
- Plant Products One-stop-shop distribution division offering a comprehensive array of high-quality inputs for the horticulture sector in North America and central Europe, including biopesticides and conventional crop protection, crop nutrition (fertilizers, micronutrients), high-tech management tools, seeds, and innovative consumables.
- Biotrop Sub-brand focused on biological crop protection for open-field row crops such as soybeans, corn, sugarcane, and wheat, offering biopesticides (biofungicides, bioinsecticides, bionematicides), biostimulants, biofertilizers (including premium biofertilizers), and inoculants. Specializes in industrial multiplication of beneficial bacteria.
- EpiShield™ Biopesticide product launched by BioWorks for superior insect control in greenhouse and outdoor crops, expanding the BioWorks biopesticide portfolio within BioFirst Group.
Quantifiable outcome
- Emissions per turnover decreased by over 50% for own activities (scope 1 & 2)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use BioFirst Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BioFirst Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
BioFirst Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.
- BiotalyssupportingStrategic partnership established in 2021 for product development and distribution in the biological crop protection space.
- AruggasupportingInvestment in Arugga and distribution of pollination robots in US and Canada, established in 2021.
- IBMA (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association)supportingProud member of IBMA, the international association for the biological control industry.
- CABIsupportingProud member of CABI, a not-for-profit intergovernmental development and information organization focusing on scientific knowledge in the field of agriculture.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BioFirst Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BioBee Sde Eliyahu: Israeli producer of bumblebees for pollination and beneficial insects for biocontrol, with overlapping product lines in greenhouse horticulture - one of the few direct competitors in commercial bumblebee pollination alongside Biobest.
- Certis Biologicals: U.S.-based manufacturer of biological crop protection products including biopesticides and biofungicides, serving both specialty and row-crop markets - directly comparable to BioWorks/Biotrop product portfolio and customer segments.
- Koppert: Dutch-based global leader in biological crop protection and natural pollination, offering beneficial insects, bumblebees, and biostimulants for horticulture - the closest pure-play competitor to Biobest with comparable products, customer base, and category leadership ambitions.
- Valent BioSciences: Sumitomo Chemical subsidiary specializing in biopesticides, biorationals, and plant growth regulators for agriculture - a major global competitor in the microbial and biochemical crop protection segments where BioWorks operates.
- Andermatt Biocontrol: Swiss producer of biological plant protection products including baculovirus-based biopesticides and beneficial nematodes, serving professional horticulture and agriculture - a focused biocontrol specialist with comparable offerings to Biobest's macrobials and BioWorks' microbials.
Broad incumbents
- Bayer Crop Science: One of the world's largest agricultural input companies with significant investment in biological alternatives and the Bioceres partnership - competes across BioFirst's full product spectrum while leveraging massive R&D and distribution.
- Syngenta Group: Global agribusiness owned by Sinochem with growing biologicals portfolio (including acquired Valagro biostimulants) - represents the integrated incumbent model of chemicals + biologicals competing for the same growers BioFirst serves.
- BASF Agricultural Solutions: Global agrochemical giant with expanding biologicals portfolio (including Serifel, NodulatorPro inoculants) - represents the broad incumbent threat of a major chemical player scaling biological solutions across BioFirst's addressable markets.
Emerging players
- Biotalys: Belgian agricultural biotech developing protein-based biocontrol products; already a strategic partner of BioFirst - represents the next-generation of biological innovation that could either complement or compete with BioFirst's traditional beneficial insect/microbial portfolio.
Others
- Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Global enzyme and microbial platform producer (merged with Chr. Hansen) with a significant BioAg segment serving agricultural biologicals - comparable fermentation/microbial production capabilities that Biotrop leverages, making Novonesis both a potential partner and supplier/competitor in microbials.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BioFirst Group social profiles
Digital presenceBioFirst Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BioFirst Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
BioFirst Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries32 records
BioFirst Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BioFirst Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BioFirst Group
What does BioFirst Group do?
BioFirst Group is a global producer and supplier of biological crop protection, pollination, and plant health solutions for horticulture (greenhouse) and open-field agriculture. The company manufactures and distributes beneficial insects, mites, nematodes, bumblebees for pollination, biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilizers, and inoculants through four core brands: Biobest, BioWorks, Plant Products, and Biotrop, supported by 600+ technical advisors worldwide.
Is BioFirst Group a public or private company?
BioFirst Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was BioFirst Group founded?
BioFirst Group was founded in 1987. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is BioFirst Group based?
BioFirst Group is headquartered in Westerlo, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does BioFirst Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Biological Crop Protection Products are the primary driver. The others are pollination Services, beneficial Organisms, crop Inputs Distribution and technical Advisory Services.
Who are BioFirst Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BioBee Sde Eliyahu, Certis Biologicals, Koppert, Valent BioSciences and Andermatt Biocontrol. Broad incumbents are Bayer Crop Science, Syngenta Group and BASF Agricultural Solutions. Biotalys is listed as an emerging player. Novonesis (formerly Novozymes) is listed as an others.
Does BioFirst Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for BioFirst Group.
What industry is BioFirst Group in?
BioFirst Group's product category is Agricultural Biologicals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAMALAC, Beneficial Insect & Predator Releases (Biocontrol), with a secondary code of AFABAEAK, Biostimulants & Plant Health Biologicals (Microbial/Non-microbial). Its NAICS code is 3253 and its SIC code is 2833.