What SECOBRA RECHERCHES does

SECOBRA RECHERCHES is a French cereal breeding company founded in 1902, headquartered at Centre de Bois-Henry in Maule, Yvelines, France, and operating as part of the international SECOBRA Group with subsidiaries in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. The company develops proprietary cereal seed varieties through dedicated breeding programs spanning wheat (winter soft wheat and biscuit-quality wheats), winter barley (including 6-row brewing varieties), spring barley (for brewing and distillation), triticale, oilseeds and protein crops (feverole, peas, soybean), and other cereals (oat, spelt, rye). Notable commercial varieties include Belter, Balzac, Timber, Constel, Kingkong, Olaf, and Carrousel. Core activities encompass varietal selection, seed production, and commercial analysis, with the company holding specialization in malting barley breeding since 1902 and collaborating with other European breeders to deliver varieties adapted to French climate and market conditions.

The company generates revenue primarily through the development and commercialization of proprietary seed varieties — both through direct seed sales and licensing/royalty arrangements — to four primary customer segments: the malting and brewing industry (anchored by a long-standing relationship with Malteries Soufflet), the animal feed industry, the human food and flour milling industry, and farmers and agricultural cooperatives across France and European markets. Go-to-market is sales-led, operating through direct commercial relationships with agricultural cooperatives, seed distributors, and industrial clients rather than mass-market channels, supported by an annual printed seed catalog and direct field partnerships. The 2021 acquisition of SEM-Partners expanded the species portfolio to include service plants, and the company is actively publishing commercial varieties and an RSE/sustainability strategy report as of late 2025.

The business is structured as a privately-held corporation under SECOBRA Group, a holding/investment entity, with governance led by Director Gilles Fouquin (formerly Malteries Soufflet Administrator), Director of Sales & Markets Florent Cornut (also Managing Director of SEM-Partners), Director of the French research center Amélie Genty, senior wheat breeder Pascal Giraudeau (with the company since 1999), and Director of Administrative & HR Xavier Talon (joined June 2025). The company has no public stock listing, no disclosed revenue figures, no disclosed external funding rounds, and no headcount data publicly available.

Name

SECOBRA RECHERCHES

Legal name

SECOBRA Recherches

Website

https://secobra.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SECOBRA Recherches is a French cereal breeding company, founded in 1902 and part of SECOBRA Group, that develops proprietary wheat, barley, triticale, oilseed, and protein crop seed varieties for the malting/brewing, animal feed, milling, and agricultural cooperative sectors across France and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant Breeding & Seed Production

NAICS

Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111), Dry Pea and Bean Farming (111130), Oilseed (except Soybean) Farming (111120), Oilseed and Grain Combination Farming (111191)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Breeding & Variety Development (Conventional) (AFAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Certified Seed Production (AFAGAIAC), Grain Seed Production (Cereal Seed Multiplication) (AFAGAAAI), Seed Distribution & Wholesale (Channel Sales) (AFAGAIAM), Seed Conditioning & Processing (Cleaning, Grading, Treating) (AFAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Cereal seed breeding
• Plant variety development
• Malting barley varieties
• Wheat breeding programs
• Agricultural seed production

Headquarters

HQ city

Maule

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seed Sales and Licensing: SECOBRA Recherches generates revenue through the development and commercialization of proprietary cereal seed varieties to farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and industrial clients in the malting, brewing, flour, and feed industries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

SECOBRA Recherches develops and commercializes proprietary cereal seed varieties through plant breeding programs covering wheat (winter soft wheat), winter barley, spring barley, triticale, oilseeds and protein crops. The company sells these varieties to agricultural cooperatives, farmers, and industrial clients in the malting, brewing, flour milling, and animal feed industries across France and European markets. It also provides seed production and commercial grain analysis services.

Product overview

SECOBRA Recherches is a cereal breeding company developing multiple variety programs across wheat, winter barley, spring barley, triticale, oilseeds and protein crops, and other cereals. The company operates a unified product portfolio organized by species, with varieties adapted to French and European climates and markets. The core offering consists of seed breeding programs producing commercial varieties for human food, animal feed, and industrial applications. The breeding activities are supported by seed production and commercial analysis services. In 2021, SECOBRA expanded its portfolio by acquiring SEM-Partners, adding service plant varieties to its offering. Notable named varieties include Belter (spring barley), Balzac (winter wheat), Timber (spring barley), Constel (6-row winter barley), Kingkong, Olaf, and Carrousel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEM-Partners: Service plant species provider acquired in 2021, offering varieties adapted to French climate and markets.

Products and services

• Belter (Spring Barley)

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEM-PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021SECOBRA Recherches acquired SEM-Partners in 2021, expanding its product portfolio to include service plants. This acquisition was led by Florent Cornut, Director of Sales & Markets for SECOBRA Recherches and Director General for SEM-Partners, enabling the company to offer expanded variety options adapted to French climate and market requirements.
• European Plant BreedersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnerships with other European breeders for the development and distribution of oilseed, protein crop, oat, spelt, and rye varieties adapted to French climate conditions and market outlets.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Saaten Union: German-based cooperative of plant breeders marketing cereal, maize, and oilseed varieties across Europe. Comparable as a European cooperative-style breeding and distribution network serving farmers and processors.
• RAGT Semences: French seed company breeding cereals, maize, sorghum, and forage crops for European markets. Closely comparable as a mid-sized independent French breeder serving similar farmer and industrial customers.
• DLF Seeds: European seed company specializing in forage and amenity grass, clover, and cereal seeds. Comparable as a European multi-species seed breeder with similar farmer and industrial customer segments.
• Limagrain: French farmer-cooperative seed group active across cereals, corn, and vegetables through brands like LG Seeds and Vilmorin. Highly comparable in European cereal breeding, cooperative distribution model, and multi-species portfolio strategy.
• Florimond Desprez: French family-owned plant breeder focused on cereals, sugar beet, and forage crops. Comparable as an independent French breeder of conventional cereal varieties with similar customer profile and distribution approach.
• KWS SAAT SE: German-headquartered global seed company with major cereal (wheat, barley, rye) and sugar beet breeding programs. Directly comparable as a European conventional plant breeder serving farmers, cooperatives, and industrial processors with proprietary varieties.

Broad incumbents

• Bayer Crop Science: Global agricultural input provider offering seeds (including DEKALB and wheat genetics) alongside crop protection. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose seed portfolio overlaps with SECOBRA's cereal offerings.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: Global agricultural solutions provider with seed and trait offerings (including cereals) following the Bayer asset divestiture. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping cereal seed and trait capabilities.
• Corteva Agriscience: Global seed and crop protection company with Pioneer and Brevant brands covering cereals, corn, and oilseeds. Comparable as a large incumbent offering competing cereal varieties in European markets.
• Syngenta: Global agrochemical and seed company offering cereal and broad-acre crop varieties. Comparable as a major incumbent in the same crop seed categories, though at much larger scale and with broader portfolio including crop protection.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SecobraRecherches

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 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 SECOBRA RECHERCHES