SEM-PARTNERS
SEM-PARTNERS is a French seed distributor and wholly-owned subsidiary of SECOBRA Recherches, specializing in service plants (cover crops, companion plants, CIVEs for biogas) and organic seeds, serving French farmers and cooperatives through direct sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersMaule, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SEM-PARTNERS does
SEM-PARTNERS is a French seed company operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SECOBRA Recherches since January 2021, following SECOBRA's acquisition. Founded in 1996 and headquartered at Le Bois Henry in Maule (Yvelines), the company specializes in the breeding, multiplication, and commercialization of agricultural seeds for the French market, with a particular focus on service plants — cover crops (CIPAN), agronomic mixtures (SP² range), companion plants for oilseed rape (PARTNER range), and intermediate energy crops for methanization (BIOGAZ / CIVE range) — alongside a dedicated organic/BIO seed catalogue. Its product portfolio spans cereals (wheat, barley, triticale, oats, rye, spelt), protein crops (peas, fava beans), oilseeds (soy), fodder associations (méteils), and pure cover-crop species, with genetics sourced from SECOBRA Recherches and a network of French and international breeders, all registered in French and European seed catalogs.
The business operates a direct sales-led go-to-market model targeting French farmers and agricultural cooperatives across both conventional and organic segments, as well as farmers with biogas/methanization operations and oilseed rape producers seeking companion-plant solutions. Distribution is direct from the Bois-Henry industrial facility, supported by a zoned commercial team (Quentin Devallé covering eastern France and Geoffroy Le Tallec) and an operational director (Florent Cornut), with sales generated through one-time per-unit seed purchases rather than recurring contracts. Marketing is executed primarily through the company website, downloadable PDF catalogs and technical guides, and a regular news/actus feed; pricing is not publicly disclosed. As a SASU with €202,000 share capital and approximately 8 employees, SEM-PARTNERS functions as a focused niche distributor within the broader SECOBRA group, leveraging its parent's international sourcing and experimentation network while concentrating its commercial activity on the French national territory.
SEM-PARTNERS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SEM-PARTNERS
- Legal name
- SEM-PARTNERS
- Website
- https://sem-partners.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SEM-PARTNERS is a French seed distributor and wholly-owned subsidiary of SECOBRA Recherches, specializing in service plants (cover crops, companion plants, CIVEs for biogas) and organic seeds, serving French farmers and cooperatives through direct sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SEM-PARTNERS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Seed Distribution
- NAICS
- Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)
- SIC
- Agricultural Services (700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM)
Keywords
Where SEM-PARTNERS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Maule
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SEM-PARTNERS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Seed Sales (Cereals, Protein Crops, Oilseeds): SEM-PARTNERS generates revenue through the sale of seeds across multiple product categories: cereal grains (wheat, barley, triticale, oats, rye, spelt), protein crops (peas, fava beans), and oilseeds (soy). Seeds are sold as proprietary or partner-bred varieties registered in French and European catalogs, targeting both conventional and organic farming operations in France.
- Cover Crops and Catch Crop Seeds: Sale of cover crop seeds (CIPAN — Cultures Intermédiaires Pièges à Nitrates), agronomic mixtures (SP² range), and companion plant mixtures for oilseed rape (PARTNER range). These products serve both conventional and organic farms for soil health, nitrogen management, and pest control purposes.
- CIVE (Methanization) Seeds: Sale of intermediate energy crop seeds (CIVEs — Cultures Intermédiaires à Vocation Énergétique), including winter and summer CIVEs for biogas/methanization. The company offers pure species and mixtures (BIOGAZ range) targeting farmers with biogas production operations.
- BIO/Organic Seed Range: Dedicated BIO seed catalog featuring organic varieties of cereals, protein crops, oilseeds, cover crops, and companion plants, registered for organic agriculture use in France. Includes SECOBRA-bred varieties such as the ABRACADABRA milling wheat (registered for organic use in January 2024).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
SEM-PARTNERS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SEM-PARTNERS is a French seed company that breeds, multiplies, and commercializes a diversified portfolio of agricultural seeds. Its core offerings include cereal seeds (wheat, barley, triticale, oats, rye, spelt), protein crops (peas, fava beans), oilseeds (soy), organic/BIO seed varieties, cover crop mixtures (SP² range), companion plants for oilseed rape (PARTNER range), and intermediate energy crops for biogas methanization (BIOGAZ range). The company distributes these varieties, registered in French and European catalogs, directly to French farmers and agricultural cooperatives.
Product overview
SEM-PARTNERS is a seed company offering a diversified portfolio of products organized into distinct product lines: (1) Céréales - cereal seeds including winter wheat, spring wheat, barley, triticale, oats, and rye; (2) Oléo-Protéagineux - protein crops (peas, fava beans) and oilseeds (soybeans); (3) Gamme BIO - organic seed catalogue with varieties specifically adapted to organic farming; (4) Gamme SP² - agronomic cover crop mixtures (SP2 CLEAN, SP2 FERTI, SP2 FIX, SP2 GREEN, SP2 PERFO, SP2 TECHNO, SP2 BRASSIPAN, SP2 CHASSE, SP2 NECTAR) designed for weed control, nitrogen fixation, and CEPP gains; (5) Gamme PARTNER - companion plants for rapeseed (PARTNER DUO, PARTNER ELITE, PARTNER TRIO) that provide ecological focus areas and CEPP benefits; (6) Gamme Biogaz/CIVEs - energy crops for anaerobic digestion (BIOGAZ AGRO, BIOGAZ MAX, BIOGAZ PRO, BIOGAZ SUMMER, BIOGAZ WINTER) including summer and winter cycles; (7) Espèces pures - pure species seeds for cover crops; (8) Méteils - mixed crop associations for fodder production. The company operates as a distributor of varieties from French and international breeders, with SECOBRA Recherches as parent company since January 2021.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BIOGAZ: CIVEs (Cultures Intermédiaires à Vocation Énergétique) for summer and winter biogas production
- PARTNER
- SP2 (SP²)
- TPA/TPAV/VP
Products and services
- Cereal Seeds (Céréales) Cereal seed varieties including winter wheat, spring wheat, barley, triticale, oats, rye, and spelt for French farmers and agricultural cooperatives. Registered in French and European catalogs.
- Protein Crop and Oilseed Seeds (Oléo-Protéagineux) Protein crops including peas and fava beans, and oilseeds including soybeans, for French arable farms and crop rotations.
- SP² Agronomic Cover Crop Mixtures (Gamme SP²) Agronomic cover crop mixtures including SP² CLEAN, SP² FERTI, SP² FIX, SP² GREEN, SP² PERFO, SP² TECHNO, SP² BRASSIPAN, SP² CHASSE, SP² NECTAR designed for soil health, nitrogen management, and CEPP-certified gains for French conventional and organic farms.
- PARTNER Companion Plants for Oilseed Rape (Gamme PARTNER) Companion plant mixtures for rapeseed including PARTNER DUO, PARTNER ELITE, and PARTNER TRIO, designed to improve rapeseed growth, reduce pesticide use, optimize nitrogen fertilization, and deliver CEPP-certified gains.
- BIOGAZ CIVE Mixtures (Gamme Biogaz / CIVEs) CIVE (Cultures Intermédiaires à Vocation Énergétique) mixtures for anaerobic digestion/biogas production including BIOGAZ AGRO, BIOGAZ MAX, BIOGAZ PRO, BIOGAZ SUMMER, and BIOGAZ WINTER, supporting summer and winter biogas production cycles.
- BIO/Organic Seed Range (Gamme BIO) Dedicated organic seed catalog featuring organic varieties of cereals, protein crops, oilseeds, cover crops, and companion plants, registered for organic agriculture use in France. Includes SECOBRA-bred varieties such as the ABRACADABRA milling wheat registered for organic use in January 2024.
- Pure Cover Crop Species (Espèces pures) Pure species seeds for cover cropping including ABY-FIX, AZO-FIX, CHIA, CW-99-OL, DROLLET, EXTENSO, FENU-FIX, FENUCOLD, JUNCEA-FIX, LENTI-FIX, LIZARD, MILLET, N-FIX, ORPHÉE, RAPIDO, STRUCTURATOR, and WINNER for diverse agronomic uses.
- Méteils Mixed Crop Associations (Méteils) Mixed crop associations including TPA (Méteil), TPAV, and VP (fodder associations) combining cereals and legumes for combined grain and fodder production.
Quantifiable outcome
- SP² FIX cover crop mixture delivers 0.020 CEPP/kg gain (nitrogen-fixing legume-based mix with mustard)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SEM-PARTNERS
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SEM-PARTNERS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SEM-PARTNERS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- SECOBRA RecherchescoreSECOBRA Recherches, a French cereal breeder of renown, acquired SEM-PARTNERS in January 2021. The acquisition consolidated SEM-PARTNERS' position in the French seed market by providing access to SECOBRA's international sourcing network for plant material, the industrial facility at Bois-Henry (Yvelines), and SECOBRA's variety development and experimentation network. SECOBRA also contributes organic crop breeding programs (e.g., ABRACADABRA wheat registered for organic use in January 2024), and SEM-PARTNERS now represents all BIO solutions of the SECOBRA group.
- French and International BreedersmajorSEM-PARTNERS maintains solid partnerships with numerous French and international breeders (obtenteurs), providing access to a broad and diversified genetic portfolio of cereal, protein crop, oilseed, and cover crop varieties registered in French and European catalogs. These breeder relationships ensure a wide range of genetics for both conventional and organic agriculture.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SEM-PARTNERS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Euralis Semences: Cooperative-owned French seed business active in cereals, sunflower, soybean and forage. Overlaps with SEM-PARTNERS on cereals and soybeans, marketed through similar French cooperative channels.
- RAGT Semences: Major French field crop seed company (cereals, protein crops, oilseeds, cover crops) with national distribution. Direct competitor in the same farmer segments as SEM-PARTNERS, especially across cereal varieties and cover crop mixtures.
- Caussade Semences (Semences de France): French seed company with broad coverage of cereals, oilseeds, and cover crops marketed under the 'Semences de France' brand. Directly comparable in product mix and French farmer customer base.
- Florimond Desprez: French sugar beet and cereal breeder with significant wheat and barley variety development. Competes with SEM-PARTNERS' cereal seeds in French cooperative and farmer channels.
- Jouffray-Drillaud: French seed company covering cereals, protein crops, cover crops, and forage mixtures. Strongly comparable as a French distributor with multi-category seed portfolios, including cover crop mixtures serving similar agro-ecology use cases.
- DLF Seeds: Global leader in forage and cover crop seeds with extensive European mixtures portfolio. Direct peer for SEM-PARTNERS' SP² agronomic mixtures and CIVEs range, especially across cover crops.
Broad incumbents
- Barenbrug: Dutch-based global forage and cover crop seed company with strong European presence. Comparable on cover crop and forage mixtures overlapping with SEM-PARTNERS' BIOGAZ CIVEs and SP² ranges.
- Corteva Agriscience (Pioneer): Global seed and crop protection major with significant French cereal and oilseed seed presence. Broad incumbent operating in overlapping farmer segments as SEM-PARTNERS, though at vastly larger scale.
- KWS: Major European plant breeder with deep wheat, barley, and rye portfolios plus cover crop offerings. Competes broadly across SEM-PARTNERS' cereal and cover crop product lines, but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
Regional players
- Lemaire Deffontaines: Northern-French specialized cereal and forage seed company. Comparable product scope (cereals and fodder associations) but smaller and more regionally focused than SEM-PARTNERS' national footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SEM-PARTNERS social profiles
Digital presenceSEM-PARTNERS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
SEM-PARTNERS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SEM-PARTNERS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
SEM-PARTNERS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SEM-PARTNERS 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 SEM-PARTNERS
What does SEM-PARTNERS do?
SEM-PARTNERS is a French seed company that breeds, multiplies, and commercializes a diversified portfolio of agricultural seeds. Its core offerings include cereal seeds (wheat, barley, triticale, oats, rye, spelt), protein crops (peas, fava beans), oilseeds (soy), organic/BIO seed varieties, cover crop mixtures (SP² range), companion plants for oilseed rape (PARTNER range), and intermediate energy crops for biogas methanization (BIOGAZ range). The company distributes these varieties, registered in French and European catalogs, directly to French farmers and agricultural cooperatives.
Is SEM-PARTNERS a public or private company?
SEM-PARTNERS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SEM-PARTNERS founded?
SEM-PARTNERS was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SEM-PARTNERS based?
SEM-PARTNERS is headquartered in Maule, France, in the Europe region.
How does SEM-PARTNERS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Seed Sales (Cereals, Protein Crops, Oilseeds) is the primary driver. The others are cover Crops and Catch Crop Seeds, CIVE (Methanization) Seeds and BIO/Organic Seed Range.
Who are SEM-PARTNERS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Euralis Semences, RAGT Semences, Caussade Semences (Semences de France), Florimond Desprez, Jouffray-Drillaud and DLF Seeds. Broad incumbents are Barenbrug, Corteva Agriscience (Pioneer) and KWS. Lemaire Deffontaines is listed as a regional player.
Does SEM-PARTNERS have an API?
No public API is recorded for SEM-PARTNERS.
What industry is SEM-PARTNERS in?
SEM-PARTNERS's product category is Agricultural Seed Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGAIAM, Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales). Its NAICS code is 1111 and its SIC code is 700.