Paris, March 2, 2023
A company founded and co-financed by the agricultural sector since 2020, Agdatahub has completed its second circle of financing. The combined financing by the historic holding company API-Agro, two leading actors in the agricultural and agri-food sectors (Avril and InVivo) and two technology partners (Capgemini and IN Groupe as a specialist in identity and protection of sensitive data), as well as the investment of Banque des Territoires, Agdatahub's historic partner on its own behalf and a new entrant on behalf of the French government within the framework of the program France 2030, will enable Agdatahub to strengthen its role as the leading agricultural data intermediary in France and in Europe. The objective is clear: to amplify the massive use of agricultural data in a sovereign trusted framework.
Agdatahub, 4.8 million euros raised for a shared ambition: to connect 380,000 farms with their 85,000 partners in France
Agdatahub is the first French intermediary platform for agricultural data. Its ambition: to provide the 380,000 farms in France and all the relevant actors in the sector with innovative tools that take into account the consent of farmers to the use of their data.
This ambition is now shared with new partners. In fact, in order to support its development, Agdatahub has raised a new €4.8 million in funding. Avril, InVivo and IN Groupe, a technology partner for the development of digital identities for farmers, have joined the company's capital alongside its historical partners: the agricultural holding company API-Agro and the Banque des Territoires. The fundraising was completed by financing from Capgemini, as well as by the Banque des Territoires, on behalf of the French government. The latter, within the framework of the program France 2030 Territoires d'innovation, awarded two actors, Dijon Métropole and Occitanum, a project coordinated by the Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE) centers in Occitanie, Montpellier and Toulouse.
The arrival of these new players and the strengthened commitment of certain historical partners, such as IN Groupe, are in line with Agdatahub's vision and demonstrate the need to structure the circulation of agricultural data, from farm to table. It is essential to reinforce the trust between producers and consumers while responding to current challenges.
Indeed, by bringing together, into one ecosystem, large groups and innovative structures, Agdatahub offers the keys for the digital and agro-ecological transformation of the agricultural sector, in favor of sustainability as well as digital and food sovereignty of France.
Agdatahub, solutions for the massification of uses today
Agdatahub already offers two flagship solutions for the various agricultural sectors and their partners:
- Agritrust : A solution for managing farmers' consent to the use of their data, Agritrust is based on the very first agricultural digital identity (developed in co-innovation with Orange Business Services and IN Groupe). Focusing on digital service providers for farms and available as a paid subscription, Agritrust is also a free mobile application for farmers.
- API-Agro : The first platform for multi-stream agricultural data exchange, API-Agro operates as a trusted third party between holders and users of agricultural data. Launched in 2019, the platform currently has more than 2,000 subscribers. Different subscription formulas (including a first level free of charge) allow the relevant sectorial actors to access its numerous functionalities and to exchange data in complete security and transparency.
These two solutions have been designed to meet the needs of agricultural industry in terms of data dissemination for the purpose of innovations beneficial to the agricultural sector, but also to meet the transparency demanded by consumers, while complying with European regulations on non-personal data (Data Governance Act, in force as of September 2023, and Data Act, under discussion).
Sébastien WINDSOR, farmer and President of Agdatahub, is pleased that "this consortium of investors, composed by leading actors, is mobilizing to accelerate the controlled circulation of agricultural data and the massive deployment of use cases such as chain traceability, carbon or environmental labelling, which are sources of income improvement for French farmers.”
In addition, Agdatahub conducts operational consulting missions as part of its Capdata activity. The aim is to implement concrete use cases of data applied to the sectors. During the International Agricultural Salon (February 25 to March 5), Agdatahub will conduct presentations on its stand; including partners from the wine
industry, the carbon economy and the environmental display.
About Agdatahub SAS
Agdatahub is the entrusted third party data intermediary dedicated to the agricultural sector with its Agritrust digital identity and API-Agro data exchange solutions. In support of these solutions, Agdatahub provides operational consulting missions related to data (project management, technologies, marketing) to support the agricultural sector in the use of digital technologies.
More information on: https://agdatahub.eu / Twitter (@agdatahub_FR) / LinkedIn
About API-Agro SAS
Initially a research project on agricultural data of the Technical Institutes and the Chambers of Agriculture with the support of the French Ministry of Agriculture, API-Agro gave birth to a data exchange platform and to a SAS made up of 30 partners representing the agricultural sector. API-Agro SAS is now a holding company which is one of the partners of the majority agricultural pole of Agdatahub alongside InVivo and Avril.
The agricultural holding company API-Agro SAS brings together 31 partners: Les Instituts Techniques Agricoles, Chambres d'Agriculture France (agricultural development college); APPA, Atol CD, Eliance, FIEA, Fredon, GDS France, Gènes Diffusion, GS1 France, Isagri, Seenergi, Sofiprotéol, Syngenta France, Terrasolis, Unigrains, Unissia, Zekat (private partners college), and Geves (public partners college).
About Avril
Founded in 1983 on the initiative of the agricultural world, Avril is the industrial and financial player in the French vegetable oil and protein sector. Present in 19 countries, the Group achieved sales of 6.9 billion euros in 2021. It employs 7,350 people in 73 industrial sites around the world.
For 40 years, the Group has remained faithful to its original mission: to feed people and animals and preserve the planet. Faced with today's challenges, Avril has chosen to reaffirm its power to act, through the expression of its raison d'être: To serve the Earth
For more information: www.groupeavril.com / Twitter @Avril / LinkedIn Avril
About InVivo Group
The InVivo group is one of Europe's leading agricultural groups, with sales of nearly €12 billion, more than half of which are generated in France, and a workforce of 14,500, including 11,000 in France. With operations in 38 countries, it has more than 90 industrial sites, including 63 in France.
This pillar of food sovereignty operates across the entire value chain, from farm to fork, and is a leader in each of its four main strategic activities: International Grain Trade; Agriculture; Agribusiness (Malting, Wheat and Wine); and Garden Center and Food Distribution.
A global cross-functional center for innovative and digital solutions completes the system to accelerate the transformation of these activities towards the 3rd agricultural revolution.
For more information: invivo-group.com / Twitter @InVivoGroup
About IN Groupe
A global specialist in identity and secure digital services, IN Groupe is the trusted partner in the management and protection of sensitive data. IN Groupe is committed to the most protective and secure digital identity schemes and transactions. Through its mastery of the entire identity value chain of individuals as well as objects, IN Groupe has deployed its expertise beyond̀ legal identity by developing solutions and services based on professional and object identities. Whatever the issue, IN Groupe, a digital sovereignty company, contributes to asserting a fundamental right for everyone: the Right to be Yourself. IN Groupe operates three affiliated brands, SPS for electronic components, Surys for optical and holographic security and Nexus for corporate and IoT digital identity solutions, which have leading technologies in their markets.
IN GROUPE IN FIGURES (REVENUE 2021): 453 M€ - 1 800 employees - 9 sites in Europe - 8 sales offices worldwide + 130 countries use IN Groupe solutions - 30 partner governments
More information: ingroupe.com / LinkedIn / @IN_Groupe
About Banque des Territoires
Set up in 2018, Banque des Territoires is one of Caisse des Dépôts' five areas of expertise. It brings together within a single structure all of our in-house expertise for local areas. As a one-stop shop for customers, it provides bespoke solutions in terms of consulting and financing through loans and investment to meet the needs of local authorities, social housing bodies, local public undertakings and the legal professions. It has been set up to serve the interests of all local areas alike, from rural municipalities to large cities, with the ambition of combating social inequality and territorial divisions. Banque des Territoires is also rolled out across Caisse des Dépôts' 16 regional managements and 37 territorial offices so as to resonate more meaningfully with our customers, in their neighbourhoods.
For more attractive, including, sustainable and connected territories.
More information at: www.banquedesterritoires.fr | @BanqueDesTerr
The France 2030 investment plan:
- Sets out a twofold ambition: sustainably transforming key sectors of our economy (health, energy, automotive, aeronautics and space) through technological innovation, and positioning France not only as a player but as a leader in the world of tomorrow. From basic research to the emergence of an idea and the creation of a new product or service, France 2030 supports the entire life cycle of innovation right up to industrialization.
- France 2030 is unprecedented in its scale: €54 billion is being invested so that our businesses, our schools, our universities and our research organizations fully succeed with their transitions in these strategic sectors. The challenge is to enable them to respond in a competitive way to the world’s future ecological and attractiveness challenges, and to showcase the future champions of our sectors of excellence. France 2030 is defined by two overarching objectives, which will see 50% of expenses given over to the decarbonization of the economy, and 50% to emerging key players, those at the forefront of innovation, without neglecting the environment (in the sense of the “Do No Significant Harm” principle).
- France 2030 is being implemented collectively: designed and deployed in consultation with economic, academic, local and European key players to establish strategic guidelines and decisive action. Project holders are invited to submit their entries via the current application process, which is a demanding and selective one, to benefit from French government support.
- France 2030 is being led by the French General Secretariat for Investment, in charge of France 2030, on behalf of the Prime Minister, and in partnership with the relevant government ministries. France 2030 is being implemented by the French National Research Agency (ANR), the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), Bpifrance and the Banque des Territoires.