When Aude Guo left McKinsey in 2015, she wasn’t chasing a trend. She was working through a real question: how does the world sustainably feed a growing population? That question led her to co-found InnovaFeed in 2016, alongside Bastien Oggeri and Clément Ray, in Northern France.
Today, InnovaFeed is one of the most funded insect BioTech companies in Europe, having raised a total of $480 million over 10 rounds from 19 investors, including Temasek and Qatar Investment Authority.
From McKinsey to Insects:
Aude worked for four years at McKinsey and Company, focusing on industrial and operational issues. That background shaped how she approached building InnovaFeed. The company wasn’t built on a pitch deck. It was built phase by phase, with each stage validated before the next one started.
In 2016, Aude and her co-founders created InnovaFeed to contribute to the construction of tomorrow’s sustainable food system, developing a unique technology to rear and transform the Hermetia illucens fly for animal and plant nutrition.
What InnovaFeed Actually Does:
The company raises black soldier flies and converts agricultural byproducts into insect protein, oil, and organic fertilizer. These ingredients replace fishmeal and vegetable oils in aquaculture, poultry, and pet food supply chains.
InnovaFeed completed the third phase of expansion at its Nesle production site in July 2024 and launched its Hilucia brand in February 2024, redesigning its offer around a full range of ingredients for animal and plant nutrition. The Nesle facility in Northern France is one of the largest insect production sites in the world.
The company’s US subsidiary also received an $11.7 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture in November 2024, supporting production at its facility in Decatur, Illinois.
Building with Partners, Not Just Capital:
InnovaFeed has structured its growth around industrial partnerships rather than standalone expansion. Partners include ADM, Cargill, and Auchan. In January 2025, the company announced a strategic partnership with Agryco for the commercialization of its Hilucia organic fertilizer, and in August 2024 it launched partnerships with US pet food companies Jiminy’s and Arch.
This model, building close to raw material sources and locking in commercial agreements early, reflects the operational discipline Aude brought from her consulting years.
Her Voice in the Ecosystem:
Aude has been vocal about the state of gender representation in the French tech ecosystem. She pointed out that in 2021, among the top 120 tech companies in France, only 9 had female founders or co-founders, and that women represent only 20 to 30 percent of technical teams even though they make up 40 to 45 percent of the overall workforce.
She was appointed to the FT120 / Next40 Impact Board, where her focus includes strengthening gender equality and diversity within the French tech ecosystem.
Where Things Stand in 2026:
InnovaFeed renewed its B Corp certification in December 2025, achieving a score of 118, up from its initial 111. The company has active production across France and the United States, and continues to expand its commercial footprint in aquaculture, pet food, and agriculture.
Aude Guo co-founded InnovaFeed at 29 with a clear conviction and a disciplined plan to back it. Nearly a decade later, the company is one of the clearest proof points that DeepTech in agrifood can scale when the execution is right.
