International Start-up Day. This date is particularly symbolic for one startup in particular: APEO is shifting into high gear. In addition to securing €6 million from public and private investors, this Gembloux-based startup is creating jobs. Its mission? To develop, certify, and market bioherbicides based on essential oils.
Last August, RTBF announced the discovery, by researchers at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech ULiège, of a responsible and innovative alternative to glyphosate. This report quickly went viral, with nearly 16,000 shares on social media. The general public was enthusiastic about this major innovation for both humans and the environment. (1)
A few months later, in mid-January 2021, APEO (for “Agronomical Plant Extracts & Essential Oils”), a spin-off of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech ULiège, was created. To support the development of this fledgling company with added social value, private investors contributed €3.7 million, and the Walloon Region (DGO6) provided €2.4 million in funding. The workforce grew from 2 to 6 people this March.
Walloon private and public capital are therefore joining forces in an innovation at the crossroads of major challenges for our society. “In addition to sharing our values, our partners understood how necessary it was to consider solutions where science, agriculture and sustainability meet,” explains Haïssam Jijakli, co-founder of APEO.
These responsibly sourced plant protection products have been protected by a patent since December 2019. Once the approval process is complete, APEO’s bioherbicides will initially be launched in European and North American markets. They will be available to consumers by 2026 at the latest, and to agricultural professionals by 2028. These products are also attracting interest from public companies.
Some figures
The products developed by APEO are:
- 3000 essential oils analyzed, 91 tested and 3 selected
- 1 essential oil available in several formulations/li>
- Over 10 years of research, including 3 years of testing in real-world conditions (Belgium, Southern France and the United Kingdom)
- 2 applications and 16 hours in total to eliminate unwanted plants (“weeds”)
Globally, the pesticide market is:
- 53.3 billion euros
- 65% of this market is in the hands of the Big 5 in the sector (Bayer, BASF, Corteva Agriscience, FMC, Syngenta)
