FENIX Project EU

What FENIX Project EU does

FENIX Project EU is a private Horizon Europe research consortium rather than a conventional operating company. Launched in June 2023 and coordinated by Universidad de Granada, it links nine organizations in Spain, France, Greece, and Denmark to develop and demonstrate soil-improvement technology. Intended users and stakeholders include European farmers, agricultural cooperatives, land managers, waste-management companies, biogas producers, and public agencies concerned with soil health and circular-economy policy.\n\nThe core product under development is a soil amendment combining biochar made by pyrolyzing green waste at 300–700°C in a low-oxygen environment with digestate from anaerobic digestion of supermarket organic waste. The formulation is designed to improve water retention, nutrient uptake, microbial activity, and soil fertility while reducing nutrient losses and greenhouse-gas emissions. Five field trials in Spain, France, and Greece cover olives, avocados, cereals, and wheat under different soil and climate conditions; a simulation tool and soil-properties database support long-term impact assessment.\n\nCommercially, FENIX is a grant-funded R&D and demonstration project funded under grant agreement No. 101113002, not a product seller. It has no disclosed pricing, paying customers, commercial distribution, or revenue. Its present pathway consists of field validation, regulatory analysis, technology-transfer support, and development of a replication strategy; no specific licensing, spin-out, or partner commercialization mechanism has yet been disclosed.

Name

FENIX Project EU

Legal name

FENIX Project EU

Website

https://project-fenix.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FENIX Project EU is a Horizon Europe-funded research consortium developing biochar–digestate soil improvers by combining pyrolysis and anaerobic-digestion by-products for European agriculture, waste operators, and soil-restoration applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biochar-Based Soil Improvement R&D

NAICS

Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531), Compost Manufacturing (325315)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Biochar & Carbon-Based Soil Builders (AFABAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biochar Production & Soil/Material Applications (EUABAFAC), Nutrient Stewardship & Soil Fertility Management (4R Nutrients, Compost, Biofertilizers) (AFAGAMAE)

Keywords

• Biochar soil amendments
• Biowaste pyrolysis
• Anaerobic digestion
• Digestate nutrient recovery
• Agricultural soil remediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Granada

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FENIX is a Horizon Europe research project developing a soil improver that combines biochar made by pyrolysis of green waste with nutrient-rich digestate from anaerobic digestion of supermarket organic waste. The amendment is being evaluated in European field trials for effects on soil fertility, water retention, nutrient uptake, microbial activity, carbon storage, and greenhouse-gas emissions; it is not currently described as a commercially available product.

Product overview

FENIX Project EU is a Horizon Europe-funded research initiative developing a single unified soil amendment product that combines two by-products from bio-waste processing: biochar (produced via pyrolysis of green waste such as garden and park pruning) and digestates (nutrient-rich by-products from anaerobic digestion of supermarket organic waste). The core product is the biochar-digestate mixture designed to improve soil fertility, water-holding capacity, nutrient uptake, and microbial activity. Supporting research outputs include a simulation tool for predicting environmental and agronomic impacts, and a database of soil properties. The project conducts field trials across five European sites (Spain, France, Greece) to validate the soil improver's effectiveness across different soil types and climatic conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 11% GHG emission reduction in the long-term compared to not using the developed soil improver
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CRONUS ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Horizon Europe project on complementary biowaste valorisation pathways. Joint workshop held at DTU to exchange knowledge, identify synergies, and explore future cooperation on digestate, biochar, biomethane, and nutrient recovery.
• LIFE DIMITRA ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026LIFE project on biowaste valorisation pathways. Joint workshop at DTU with FENIX and CRONUS to discuss circular economy collaboration opportunities.
• Bin2Bean ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Horizon Europe project on urban biowaste collection and valorisation under differentiated fee systems. Joint webinar hosted on turning biowaste into soil improvers.
• bioSOILutions ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Horizon Europe project on Murcia Living Lab outcomes and urban biowaste transformation. Joint webinar on biowaste valorisation for sustainable agriculture.
• FertiCovery ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2025Project presented during FENIX webinar on biowaste. Policy Officer Aline Granjard from European Compost Network introduced project objectives fitting into broader EU ambitions for sustainable circular economy.
• Universidad de Granada (UGR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023Project coordinator leading all work during FENIX. Responsible for timely completion of project tasks. Conducts soil characterization and field testing in southern Spain. Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry has extensive expertise in these fields.
• TerraWatt SAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023French startup (founded 2014) leading innovation in producing biogas from woody biomass through biological methanation of pyrolysis syngas. Responsible for biochar production through pyrolysis and AD digestate mixture supply. Hosts pilot plant site in Marmagne, France.
• CIRAD (Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023French agricultural research and cooperation organization for sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions. Prepares and selects the best biochar for soil improvement for laboratory tests. Hosts facilities in Montpellier.
• DTU (Danmarks Tekniske Universitet)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023Internationally recognized top university in technical and natural sciences, renowned for business-oriented approach to sustainability. Provides support in optimizing biochar as a bio-based material to enhance bio-methanation, soil properties and fertility.
• INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment. Measures gaseous emissions and uses validated soil and soil-crop models to simulate environmental and agronomic long-term effects of the soil improver.
• INRAE Transfert (IT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023Project engineering and technology transfer company for innovation in food, agriculture and environment. Develops and manages INRA's technology portfolio via exploitation agreements with industrial companies.
• ELGO (Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos - Dimitra)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023National body responsible for agricultural research and technology in Greece. The Soil and Water Resources Institute (largest specialized institute in Greece for soil and water research) tests and selects the best mixtures of biochar and digestate for improving soil quality. Hosts field trials in Thermi, Thessaloniki.
• Eurofins Agroscience Services Regulatory (EAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023Global contract research organization offering integrated regulatory, field development and laboratory services. Ensures regulatory compliance and labelling strategies, product classification, and potential registration routes under EU Fertilising Product Regulation.
• Inveniam GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2023Technology transfer consultancy bridging innovation and market. Supports business strategy, impact monitoring, and results dissemination. Focused on life sciences and sustainability sectors.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Airex Energy: Canadian biochar producer using pyrolysis of forest residues. Comparable technology pathway and end-product positioning, though operating in a different geography.
• Pyreg: German pyrolysis technology provider that converts biowaste into biochar for agricultural and environmental applications. Directly comparable to FENIX's core pyrolysis technology stack and biochar end-uses.
• Carbon Gold: UK-based producer of biochar-based soil amendments for agriculture and horticulture. Directly comparable to FENIX as a commercial biochar soil improver targeting European growers with claims of improved soil health, water retention, and microbial activity.
• Carbofex: Finnish biochar producer using pyrolysis technology to convert wood residues into soil amendments. Comparable to FENIX's pyrolysis-to-biochar pathway and target end-use in agriculture and soil remediation.
• Biochar Now: US-based commercial biochar producer using pyrolysis of woody biomass. Comparable production technology and end-use in agricultural soil improvement.
• Swiss Biochar: Swiss association and producer of certified biochar for soil applications. Comparable as a European biochar producer with a focus on agricultural soil improvement, carbon sequestration, and circular economy principles aligned with FENIX.
• Carbon Terra: European biochar producer with a strong focus on carbon sequestration via agricultural soil application. Comparable to FENIX on the biochar-for-soil-health and carbon-removal positioning.
• Novocarbo: German biochar producer and carbon removal company focused on pyrolyzing biowaste into biochar for soil and climate applications. Highly comparable to FENIX's combined pyrolysis + soil amendment model and European focus.

Emerging players

• Sonnenerde: Austrian producer of premium compost and soil blends for agriculture. Comparable to FENIX on the soil amendment end-product, though using composting rather than pyrolysis as the core process.
• CRONUS Project: Horizon Europe sister project on complementary biowaste valorization pathways (digestate, biochar, biomethane, nutrient recovery). Directly comparable as a peer EU-funded consortium targeting the same biowaste-to-soil-improver opportunity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-fenix-eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FENIX Project EU