What Novastell does

Novastell is a French B2B supplier of nutritional and functional bioactive ingredients, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Vernon, France, operating as a privately held SAS. The company specializes in phospholipids and lecithins, distributing a portfolio of proprietary branded ingredients — Cholinactive (phosphatidylcholine, 30–90% concentrations from non-GMO soy and sunflower), Lecimarine (marine phospholipids from sustainably sourced fish eggs, DHA/EPA-rich), Neuroserine (phosphatidylserine for cognitive health), Phosphamax, standardized Sea Buckthorn Berry omega-7 extracts, and natural Vitamin E / tocopherols — targeted at cognitive, cardiovascular, sport nutrition, stress management, women's health, digestive comfort, vision, and nutricosmetics applications. Through a core partnership with Sesqium, Novastell also distributes CiBium, a 100% plant-based active ingredient that modulates the endocannabinoid system by inhibiting the MAGL enzyme, marketed in France as a legal alternative to CBD.

The company's underlying technology is grounded in phospholipid-based nutrient delivery, with documented bioavailability claims of 12x greater choline absorption in phosphatidylcholine form versus free choline, and 2–4x more efficient DHA delivery to the brain versus triglyceride forms. Novastell sells directly to nutraceutical and dietary supplement manufacturers through a consultative B2B sales motion (quote-based, inquiry-driven), supported by content marketing, LinkedIn, newsletters, and educational webinars. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the company has no disclosed external funding, no parent or subsidiaries, and operates with an 11–50 employee headcount and a €20,000 share capital.

Name

Novastell

Legal name

NOVASTELL

Website

https://novastell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novastell is a French B2B supplier of proprietary phospholipid and lecithin ingredients — including Cholinactive, Lecimarine, Neuroserine, Phosphamax, and CiBium — sold to nutraceutical and dietary supplement manufacturers for cognitive, cardiovascular, sport, and women's health formulations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutraceutical Ingredients

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Phospholipids & Lecithin Systems (Deoiled Lecithin, Fractionated Lecithins) (AFAJALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emulsifiers & Stabilizer Systems (Lecithin, Mono/Diglycerides, Blends) (CRADAOAE), Lecithins (Soy, Sunflower, Egg; Fluid/Deoiled/Fractionated) (AFAJACAA), Delivery Systems & Encapsulation (Microencapsulation, Liposomes, Emulsions, Beadlets, Spray-Dried) (AFAJAKAL), Sports & Performance Actives (Creatine, Beta-Alanine, Citrulline, Nitrates) (AFAJAKAJ)

Keywords

• Phospholipid ingredients
• Lecithin supplier
• Nutraceutical ingredients
• Dietary supplement ingredients
• Nutritional lipids

Headquarters

HQ city

Vernon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Phospholipid and Lecithin Ingredient Sales: Novastell generates revenue by selling proprietary phospholipid and lecithin ingredients (Cholinactive, Lecimarine, Neuroserine, Phosphamax, Cibium, Sea Buckthorn Berry) to nutraceutical and dietary supplement manufacturers for incorporation into health products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Novastell supplies a complete range of branded phospholipid and lecithin ingredients — including phosphatidylcholine (Cholinactive), marine phospholipids (Lecimarine), phosphatidylserine (Neuroserine), and the plant-based endocannabinoid ingredient CiBium — to nutraceutical and dietary supplement manufacturers. The company provides tailored functional ingredient solutions targeting memory, cardiovascular health, sport nutrition, stress management, women's health, and digestive comfort, leveraging phospholipid delivery systems for enhanced bioavailability.

Product overview

Novastell is a specialist in nutritional lipids and functional ingredients, offering a complete range of phospholipids and lecithins for health formulations. The portfolio centers on phosphatidylcholine-based ingredients under the Cholinactive brand (non-GMO soy and sunflower, 30-90% concentrations), marine phospholipids via Lecimarine (fish egg-derived, DHA/EPA-rich), phosphatidylserine through Neuroserine, and the plant-based endocannabinoid ingredient Cibium. Additional offerings include Phosphamax for enhanced nutrient absorption, standardized Sea Buckthorn Berry omega-7 extracts, and natural tocopherols from soy and sunflower. The company also provides functional lecithins for emulsification applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lecimarine: Marine phospholipid extract rich in DHA and EPA, sourced from fish eggs as a sustainable omega-3 and phospholipid source.
• Cholinactive
• Phosphamax
• Neuroserine
• CiBium

Products and services

• Cholinactive Phosphatidylcholine ingredient brand for B2B nutraceutical manufacturers, available in 30-90% concentrations in fluid, powder, and solid forms, derived from non-GMO soy and sunflower. Used in dietary supplements targeting cognitive health, liver support, and enhanced nutrient bioavailability.
• Lecimarine Marine phospholipid extract naturally concentrated in DHA and EPA, sourced from fish eggs as a sustainable co-product of fishing. Standardized for anti-inflammatory compounds (SPMs) and offered to supplement manufacturers targeting omega-3, cognitive, and anti-inflammatory applications.
• Neuroserine Phosphatidylserine ingredient for B2B nutraceutical manufacturers, supporting cognitive health, memory, attention, and concentration by maintaining nerve cell membrane fluidity. Used in brain health and nootropic supplement formulations.
• Phosphamax Phosphatidylcholine-based ingredient focused on bioavailability and enhanced absorption of essential nutrients. Targeted at sport nutrition and muscle/brain performance supplement manufacturers.
• CiBium 100% plant-based active ingredient distributed in France by Novastell, acting on the endocannabinoid system by inhibiting the MAGL enzyme to increase 2-AG concentration. Serves as a legal alternative to CBD for stress, anxiety, and sleep applications in supplement formulations.
• Sea Buckthorn Berry Standardised sea-buckthorn extracts rich in omega-7 fatty acids, offered to nutraceutical manufacturers for nutritional applications including women's health, skin health, and nutricosmetics.
• Lecithins Natural lecithin mixtures rich in phosphoglycerides, supplied to food and dietary supplement manufacturers for emulsifying properties and phospholipid content. Core phospholipid offering from Novastell.
• Natural Vitamin E and Tocopherols Natural vitamin E and tocopherols derived from soy and sunflower, supplied to nutraceutical manufacturers for their antioxidant properties and cellular membrane stabilization in supplement formulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12x greater total amount of choline absorbed in bound (phosphatidylcholine) form versus free form
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SesqiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationSesqium developed the CiBium ingredient, a 100% plant-based active ingredient that acts on the endocannabinoid system by inhibiting the MAGL enzyme. Novastell distributes CiBium in France. The partnership positions Novastell to offer a legal alternative to CBD for stress, anxiety, and sleep applications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lipogen Products: Israeli supplier specializing in phosphatidylserine (PS) and other phospholipid ingredients for brain-health and cognitive supplements. Closest like-for-like competitor in the high-purity phospholipid dietary-supplement space Novastell targets with Neuroserine.
• Avanti Polar Lipids: US specialty lipid/phospholipid supplier selling high-purity phospholipids for nutraceutical and research applications. Closest analogue to Novastell at the "premium-purity phospholipid" end of the market.
• Enzymotec (Enzymedica/Sterope equivalents): Israel-based phospholipid specialist with a long-standing phosphatidylserine and krill-derived phospholipid portfolio targeting nutraceutical and infant nutrition. Comparable ingredient science and customer base to Novastell's Lecimarine and Phosphamax lines.
• ChemiNutra: US-based specialty phospholipid supplier focused on phosphatidylserine and brain-health ingredients. Highly comparable to Novastell's Neuroserine franchise in terms of positioning, science-led content and target customers (nutraceutical formulators).

Broad incumbents

• Sternchemie: German lecithin and phospholipid manufacturer (fully owned by AVR/Associated British Foods) producing standard, deoiled and fractionated lecithins including phosphatidylcholine-rich grades. Directly comparable to Novastell's lecithin/PC range but at significantly greater scale.
• Lipoid GmbH: German specialty phospholipid and lecithin manufacturer offering fractionated phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine ingredients for nutraceuticals, cosmetics and pharma. Direct overlap with Novastell's Cholinactive and Neuroserine portfolio, but at a much larger manufacturing scale.
• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) – Lecithin & phospholipids: ADM is a global agricultural processor with significant soy lecithin and fractionated phospholipid capacity serving food, feed and supplement manufacturers. Adjacent incumbent with overlapping product lines to Novastell's standard and fractionated lecithin offerings.
• Solae (DuPont/Bunge adjacencies in soy phospholipids): Bunge's lecithin and phospholipid business supplies soy-derived lecithin and PC fractions to food and nutraceutical manufacturers worldwide. Comparable product family to Novastell, but at commodity-volume scale across multiple geographies.
• Cargill (Lecithin & Phospholipids business): Cargill is one of the world's largest lecithin producers (de-oiled and standard soy/sunflower lecithin) and an integrated player across food and feed. It serves many of the same nutraceutical and dietary-supplement manufacturers that Novastell supplies, with broader portfolio depth.

Emerging players

• Bio-gen Extracts: Indian nutraceutical ingredient supplier with phospholipid and botanical extract offerings for cognitive, cardiovascular and women's-health applications. Competes with Novastell in similar formulation categories at a more cost-driven price point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novastell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Novastell