Cycloponics
Cycloponics is a Paris-based company that converts abandoned underground parking facilities into organic mushroom farms and business incubator space, operating seven sites across France and selling produce directly to urban consumers and restaurants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cycloponics does
Cycloponics (legal entity SAS CYCLOPONICS, founded 2016, headquartered in Paris) converts abandoned underground parking facilities into productive urban farms and business incubator space. Its core production technology is controlled-environment agriculture using LED lighting and hydroponic systems adapted to subterranean conditions, yielding organic mushrooms (Champignons de Paris, Pleurotes, Shiitaké), endives, and microgreens under Agriculture Biologique France and EU certifications. The company operates seven active sites spanning 25,000 m² across Paris, Bordeaux, and Lyon, with annual production exceeding 100 tonnes, and it runs an embedded business incubator hosting 65+ startups, artisans, associations, and food businesses that collectively support 150+ indirect jobs.
Cycloponics generates revenue through three primary streams: direct sale of organic mushrooms and microgreens to local urban consumers at approximately 30% below market prices and to restaurants via ultra-local last-mile delivery (80% by bicycle or electric vehicle); recurring rental income from hosting startups, artisans, and small businesses in unused portions of its underground sites; and professional-services fees from Études & Conseil, a consulting line offering technical and regulatory feasibility studies, administrative support, construction project management, and ongoing site operations for parking owners. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting social landlords and housing offices — partners include ICF Habitat, Aquitanis, Domofrance, SACVL, VILOGIA, and CDC, with the Parisculteurs municipal program providing legitimacy in Paris.
The company is founder-led (Théophile Champagnat is Directeur de Publication; Jean-Noël Gertz leads the Paris site), privately held as an SAS with €16,500 share capital, and has no disclosed venture funding, no patents, and no AI/ML capabilities. Key risks include concentration of physical capacity on a small number of landlord partnerships and the inherently limited pool of suitable underground real estate in any given metropolitan area, while key opportunities lie in replicating the templated site model in additional French cities and scaling the consulting arm.
Cycloponics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cycloponics
- Legal name
- SAS CYCLOPONICS
- Website
- https://cycloponics.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cycloponics is a Paris-based company that converts abandoned underground parking facilities into organic mushroom farms and business incubator space, operating seven sites across France and selling produce directly to urban consumers and restaurants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cycloponics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Agriculture
- NAICS
- Mushroom Production (111411), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mushroom & Fungi Production (Indoor/Protected) (AFAGAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mushroom Farming (Button, Oyster, Shiitake) (AFAGADAJ), Organic Greenhouse & Protected Crop Farming (High Tunnels, Greenhouses) (AFAGAKAD)
Keywords
Where Cycloponics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Cycloponics business model
Business model- 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
- Organic Mushroom and Produce Sales: Sale of bio-certified mushrooms (Champignons de Paris, Pleurotes, Shiitaké) and microgreens grown in underground urban farms, sold directly to local residents at 30% below market prices and to restaurants
- Startup Incubator Rental: Rental of underground spaces to startups, artisans, associations, and small businesses, creating activity zones and indirect employment
- Consulting and Studies Services: Feasibility studies (technical and regulatory), administrative assistance (urban planning permits), construction management, and site management services for property owners
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Local resident produce sales at 30% below market prices |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Cycloponics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cycloponics transforms abandoned underground parking spaces into productive urban farms producing organic mushrooms (Champignons de Paris, Pleurotes, Shiitaké) using LED lighting and hydroponics optimized for subterranean conditions. The company also operates business incubators (Pépinières d'Entreprise) in its underground spaces hosting 65+ structures, and provides Études & Conseil consulting services to help parking owners convert underutilized underground assets into productive agricultural or commercial facilities. Across 7 sites in France it manages 25,000 m² of converted underground space yielding 100+ tonnes of organic mushrooms annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- La Caverne Underground urban farm in Paris's 18th arrondissement, located in an abandoned parking lot beneath the Raymond Queneau social housing complex. Produces organic mushrooms and hosts innovative companies via the Pépinières d'Entreprise program.
- La Cave Agricole Underground urban farm in the Bordeaux region operating across two sites: 3,000 m² caves in Floirac (partner: Aquitanis) and a 3,000 m² parking lot in Lormont (partner: Domofrance). Produces organic mushrooms.
- La Tanière des Gones Underground urban farm in Lyon operating in a 2,500 m² underground parking lot in the 8th arrondissement since 2022, with a second 1,800 m² site in Villeurbanne since 2024. Produces organic mushrooms.
- Études & Conseil Consulting services for property owners and social landlords seeking to transform underground parking lots into urban farms. Includes technical and regulatory feasibility studies, administrative procedures (planning permissions), construction management, and site operation management.
- Pépinières d'Entreprise Business incubator service that transforms underground parking spaces into activity zones for startups, artisans, associations, and food businesses. Hosts over 65 structures and has created 150+ indirect jobs across 7 sites in France.
- Champignons de Paris (Organic Paris Mushrooms) Organic Paris mushrooms (white button mushrooms) produced in Cycloponics' underground farms using LED lighting and hydroponics.
- Pleurotes (Organic Oyster Mushrooms) Organic oyster mushrooms (Pleurotes) produced in Cycloponics' underground farms using LED lighting and hydroponics.
- Shiitaké (Organic Shiitake Mushrooms) Organic shiitake mushrooms (Shiitaké) produced in Cycloponics' underground farms using LED lighting and hydroponics.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25,000 m² of underground parking transformed into productive agricultural space
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Cycloponics
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cycloponics technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Cycloponics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SACVLcoreSocial housing company providing underground parking space in Lyon 8th arrondissement for La Tanière des Gones urban farm since 2022.
- VILOGIAcoreSocial housing company providing underground parking space in Lyon for urban farming operations.
- CDC (Caisse des Dépôts)corePublic financial institution and strategic partner supporting urban development projects, including underground urban farming initiatives in Lyon.
- AquitaniscoreSocial housing office providing 3,000 m² of caves in Floirac (Bordeaux region) for La Cave Agricole urban farm. Aquitanis is a key partner in Cycloponics' Bordeaux expansion.
- DomofrancecoreSocial housing office providing 3,000 m² of underground parking in Lormont (Bordeaux region) for La Cave Agricole urban farm.
- ICF HabitatcoreSocial housing landlord providing underground parking space beneath Raymond Queneau social housing complex in Paris 18th arrondissement for La Caverne urban farm. Cycloponics operates the site under the Parisculteurs program.
- Elogie-SIEMPminorSocial landlord partner providing parking space for urban farming conversion in Paris.
- RIVPminorSocial landlord partner providing parking space for urban farming conversion in Paris.
- ParisculteurscoreMunicipal urban farming program in Paris under which Cycloponics operates La Caverne site, providing legitimacy and municipal support for underground urban agriculture initiatives.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cycloponics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Station F: Paris-based startup incubator operating in a converted railway depot. Comparable on the incubator side of Cycloponics' business model (Pépinières d'Entreprise), although Station F is a single mega-site and broader tech focus while Cycloponics embeds incubators within underground farm sites.
- La Ferme de Gally: Established French peri-urban farm and farm-shop operator near Paris producing vegetables, eggs, and on-site agritourism. Comparable as a French agricultural brand selling ultra-local, certified produce to urban consumers via direct channels — a relevant benchmark for local-food positioning and brand-led distribution in the same geography.
Direct peers
- Agricool: French urban agriculture startup growing strawberries in shipping-container farms in Paris and other cities. Directly comparable as a France-based urban-farm venture using controlled-environment tech, selling to local consumers with a strong sustainability narrative.
- Les Autres Champignons: French mushroom producer using non-traditional growing substrates (used coffee grounds) for organic mushrooms, supplying restaurants and retailers in Paris. Comparable in product category (organic urban mushrooms) and customer segment (chefs and conscious urban consumers).
- Jungle (Jungle Frères / Jungle Farm): French indoor vertical farm producing herbs, salads, and microgreens for urban retail and foodservice. Comparable in CEA production model, French urban-farming market, and direct-to-chef distribution approach.
- La Boîte à Champignons: French urban mushroom producer growing gourmet varieties (shiitaké, pleurotes, nameko) in controlled indoor environments for retail and foodservice. Directly comparable to Cycloponics' organic mushroom value proposition and Paris-based fresh-produce distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- Plenty: US-based vertical farming company building large indoor farms for leafy greens. Comparable as a high-profile CEA competitor targeting fresh, locally grown produce at scale; broadly relevant as a benchmark for indoor-farming unit economics despite different geography and crop mix.
- AeroFarms: US-based vertical farming pioneer using aeroponics to grow leafy greens and herbs in indoor facilities. Comparable as an established CEA indoor-farming operator with sustainability branding similar to Cycloponics, providing a benchmark for indoor-farm economics and scale-up challenges.
- Bowery Farming: US-based smart indoor farming operator producing pesticide-free leafy greens. Comparable as an indoor-farming incumbent with strong retail and direct-to-consumer distribution, providing a relevant competitive benchmark for urban-fresh-produce go-to-market strategies.
- Infarm: Germany-headquartered vertical farming company operating in-store growing units across European supermarkets. Comparable as a well-capitalised European CEA indoor-farming operator in the same broad category of urban-grown fresh produce, though focused on herbs/salads rather than mushrooms.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cycloponics social profiles
Digital presenceCycloponics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Cycloponics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cycloponics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cycloponics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cycloponics 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 Cycloponics
What does Cycloponics do?
Cycloponics transforms abandoned underground parking spaces into productive urban farms producing organic mushrooms (Champignons de Paris, Pleurotes, Shiitaké) using LED lighting and hydroponics optimized for subterranean conditions. The company also operates business incubators (Pépinières d'Entreprise) in its underground spaces hosting 65+ structures, and provides Études & Conseil consulting services to help parking owners convert underutilized underground assets into productive agricultural or commercial facilities. Across 7 sites in France it manages 25,000 m² of converted underground space yielding 100+ tonnes of organic mushrooms annually.
Is Cycloponics a public or private company?
Cycloponics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cycloponics founded?
Cycloponics was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cycloponics based?
Cycloponics is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Cycloponics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Organic Mushroom and Produce Sales are the primary driver. The others are startup Incubator Rental and consulting and Studies Services.
Who are Cycloponics's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Station F and La Ferme de Gally. Direct peers are Agricool, Les Autres Champignons, Jungle (Jungle Frères / Jungle Farm) and La Boîte à Champignons. Broad incumbents are Plenty, AeroFarms, Bowery Farming and Infarm.
Does Cycloponics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cycloponics.
What industry is Cycloponics in?
Cycloponics's product category is Urban Agriculture. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAHAK, Mushroom & Fungi Production (Indoor/Protected), with a secondary code of AFAGADAJ, Mushroom Farming (Button, Oyster, Shiitake). Its NAICS code is 111411.