Succes story

Orius

Toulouse, a hotbed of innovation for space-based and sustainable agriculture

Founded in Toulouse in 2022, Orius is revolutionising the cultivation of living organisms thanks to its unique indoor farming technology. Combining biology, electronics and space exploration, the start-up embodies a new generation of impact-driven companies born in the Toulouse ecosystem.

An ambition born in Toulouse

After several years of experience in urban agriculture and technological horticulture, three entrepreneurs decided in 2021 to create a company dedicated to precision plant cultivation.
Paul-Hector Oliver, accompanied by Pierre Jay and Jérôme Vélociter, founded Orius in Toulouse with a clear objective: to control the chemical composition of plants for applications in food, health and cosmetics.

Why Toulouse?

Toulouse was chosen following a co-development contract with CNES for food systems for future lunar bases.
The region’s strengths:

A high-level scientific and industrial ecosystem (CNES, University of Toulouse, IRT).
The presence of key players in agricultural and space research.
Easy connections to the Grand Marché de Toulouse (MIN) and local engineering schools.

Support from Toulouse Team – Invest

Toulouse Team – Invest played a decisive role in the development of Orius:

Support in finding suitable premises for the prototyping phases.
Support in financing innovation and structuring the project.
Establishing contact with Maguelone Pontier (MIN) and several partner institutions for the space food research project with chef Thierry Marx and the École de Cuisine Mode d’Emploi(s) cooking school.

Growth driven by innovation

In two years, Orius has secured major partners in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and nutraceutical sectors (Capsum, Arkopharma, Nutrafol, Givaudan), generating over €1 million in revenue.

The company now has a plant biology laboratory, a 400 m² prototyping workshop and an industrial pilot plant comprising eight cultivation units. Its ambition is to continue rolling out a large-scale, carbon-positive project with high scientific value.

Orius

Our support

With its ecosystem of excellence, renowned quality of life and tailor-made support from Toulouse Team – Invest, the Toulouse metropolitan area is a strategic choice for innovative companies looking to accelerate their development in Europe.

Ready to accelerate your project to set up in Toulouse? Take advantage of Toulouse Team – Invest’s expertise!

Toulouse Team – Invest by your side