Héliantis Groupe

What Héliantis Groupe does

Héliantis Groupe is a privately held, family-owned French agricultural services company founded in 1992 by Bernard and Brigitte Neyron and now led by the second generation (Xavier and Yannick Neyron). It operates as a B2B contract research and seed-production platform for the French certified-seed industry, serving seed companies, plant breeders, agricultural cooperatives, and technical institutes across three regional stations: Saint-Paul-lès-Romans (Drôme, Rhône-Alpes), Revel (Occitanie), and Nalliers (Vendée, Atlantique — launched autumn 2023). The company runs roughly 60 experimental trial sites and a network of 31 partner farmers covering cereals, maize, oilseeds, pulses, and vegetables across three distinct agro-climatic zones.

The core technology stack comprises three integrated service lines: (i) varietal experimentation and evaluation (screening, marketing development, and combinatory trials); (ii) seed multiplication and breeding support, including hybrid experimental seeds, base/pre-base and conservator seeds, with 6 fixed insect-proof tunnels and 80 removable cages plus open-field production on approximately 216 ha of irrigable farmland; and (iii) post-harvest processing — threshing, cleaning, densimetric separation, sorting, counting, and thousand-grain-weight (PMG) measurement — executed via three processing lines (micro 50-100 kg/h, medium 500-1,000 kg/h, and standard) using equipment such as HALDRUP LT-50, Westrup LA-LS, HALDRUP DC 20, and the Optomachine imaging station. Decision-support tools (tensiometers, infrared imaging, chlorophyll analysis, water balance) underpin trial protocol quality. Héliantis holds HVE Level 3 environmental certification (since 2021) and SEMAE agréments for certified seed manufacturing, with SOC-certified personnel enabling it to act as an official seed certifying establishment.

The business model is professional-services fee-for-work: contracts are quote-based and tailored per project, with a dedicated interlocutor assigned from start to finish across the three stations. Revenue streams are experimentation services, seed multiplication contracts (under SEMAE), and processing service fees. GTM is enterprise field sales via direct relationships, supplemented by website content (heliantis.eu), industry/SEMAE ecosystem positioning, and field-trial showcases. The company employs 22+ permanent agronomists and technicians (13 at Saint-Paul-lès-Romans, 7 at Revel, plus Vendée staff), is privately held with no external funding rounds disclosed, and operates exclusively within France.

Name

Héliantis Groupe

Legal name

Héliantis

Website

https://heliantis.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Héliantis Groupe is a French family-owned B2B agricultural contract research and seed-production platform operating three experimental stations (Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie, Atlantique Vendée) to deliver varietal trials, SEMAE-certified seed multiplication, and post-harvest processing for seed companies, breeders, cooperatives, and technical institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Experimentation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Planting & Seeding Services (Drilling, Transplanting) (AFACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tillage & Field Preparation Services (Plowing, Cultivating, Bed Prep) (AFACAAAF), Crop Spraying & Chemical Application Services (Ground Rig) (AFACAAAB), Harvesting & Combining Services (Grain, Oilseed, Row Crop) (AFACAAAD), Biologicals Regulatory, Testing & Quality Assurance Services (AFABAEAO)

Keywords

• Varietal experimentation services
• Seed multiplication services
• Post-harvest seed processing
• Agricultural field trials
• Plant breeding support

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-paul-lès-romans

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Varietal experimentation services: Fees charged to seed companies, cooperatives, technical institutes, consultants, and breeders for varietal evaluation trials, yield trials, behaviour trials, and sowing/harvesting services conducted at experimental stations.
2. Seed multiplication and production: Seed multiplication services for clients including production of hybrid experimental seeds, base and pre-base seeds, conservator seeds, line production and self-fertilisation, under SEMAE certification. Revenue generated through production contracts.
3. Post-harvest processing (Processing): Processing services including threshing, cleaning, sorting, densimetric separation, counting and PMG measurement. Organized around three processing lines: micro-volumes (50-100 kg/hour), medium volumes (500-1000 kg/hour), and standard processing. Revenue is service-fee based.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Héliantis Groupe operates three regional agricultural experimentation stations in France delivering B2B services to seed companies, plant breeders, cooperatives, and technical institutes. Core offerings include varietal experimentation across 60 trial sites, SEMAE-certified seed multiplication (hybrid, base, pre-base, and conservator seeds), and post-harvest processing (threshing, cleaning, sorting, densimetric separation, counting, PMG measurement). Services span cereals, maize, oilseeds, legumes, and vegetables across distinct agro-climatic zones.

Product overview

Héliantis Groupe is an agricultural experimentation company operating three core service lines — varietal experimentation and evaluation, seed production and breeding support, and post-harvest processing — across three regional stations (Héliantis Rhône-Alpes, Héliantis Occitanie, Héliantis Atlantique Vendée) and a network of ~60 trial sites throughout France. The portfolio spans crop variety trials (cereals, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables), seed multiplication (under shelter and open field), and processing services (threshing, cleaning, sorting, counting). The three stations function as a unified platform, each providing distinct agro-climatic environments while sharing standardized processes and expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Expérimentations variétales (Varietal Experimentation Services) Varietal experimentation and evaluation services for seed companies, plant breeders, cooperatives, and technical institutes. Conducted across three regional stations (Saint-Paul-lès-Romans, Revel, Nalliers) and approximately 60 trial sites covering cereals, oilseeds, pulses, maize, sorghum, soya, sunflower, and vegetables. Includes screening trials, marketing development trials, combinatorial trials, yield trials, behaviour trials, and observation nurseries.
• Production et appui à la sélection (Seed Production & Selection Support) Seed multiplication and breeding support services operated under SEMAE certification. Includes hybrid experimental seed production, base and pre-base seeds for vegetables and major crops, conservator seeds, line production, self-fertilisation, and nurseries. Operates across two production modes: sheltered production (6 fixed insect-proof tunnels plus 80 removable cages ensuring seed purity) and open-field production on approximately 322 hectares across three stations.
• Process Post Récoltes (Post-Harvest Processing) Post-harvest processing services for trial samples including threshing (small and large series), cleaning, sorting, densimetric separation, seed counting, and Thousand Grain Weight (PMG) measurement. Organized around three processing lines: micro-volumes (50–100 kg/hour), medium volumes (500–1000 kg/hour), and standard processing. Uses HALDRUP LT-50 laboratory thresher, Beaumont stationary thresher, Westrup LA-LS cleaning unit, HALDRUP DC 20 air column separator, and Optomachine image-based counting station capable of counting and weighing 600 wheat grains, 3,000 rapeseed grains, or 400 maize grains in 10 seconds.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 experimental sites across 3 geographic zones covering diverse agro-climatic conditions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BIODI'VertminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation specialised in environmental training, consulting, expertise, diagnosis, animation, and communication. Héliantis has partnered with BIODI'Vert since 2018 to implement biodiversity actions on its Saint-Paul-lès-Romans site, including hedge planting, nest box installation, wetland creation, and biodiversity monitoring. Some activities are conducted jointly with students from Bac Pro Gestion des Milieux Naturels et de la Faune at MFR de MONDY.
• SEMAEcoreOthersSEMAE is the French interbranch organisation for seeds and plants. Héliantis holds SEMAE approvals for the manufacture of certified seeds and obtained official seed production certification enabling the company to hold SEMAE multiplication contracts as a certifying entity admitted to official seed control.
• Gael Blard de La Ferme Du ColombierminorOthersGael Blard operates La Ferme Du Colombier in Montmeyran (Drôme). He is a new Héliantis Vallée du Rhône partner hosting a platform for organic farming varietal evaluation trials. The partnership demonstrates Héliantis's collaborative approach with local farmers to expand its network of trial plots.
• Héliantis Atlantique VendéecoreOthersNew subsidiary established in 2023 on the family farm of Raphaël VEQUAUD in Nalliers, Vendée (85). The station operates autonomously in sowing and harvesting while sharing knowledge, processes, and terroir expertise with the parent company and other stations.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Héliantis Groupe