Nothing neutralizes bacteria like their natural predators.
That is the principle developed by Greenphage. Founded in 2017, Greenphage is a Montpellier-based greentech with 6 employees. The company designs biobased, precision antibacterial solutions to prevent infections and contaminations that affect the environment.
Incubated by Montpellier BIC and based at the Cap Alpha site in Clapiers, the company headed by Denis Costechareyre, PhD in Microbiology, uses bacteriophages, which are viruses that are harmless to humans, animals, and plants, but which attack the bacteria that Greenphage wishes to defeat.
Bactolytix, Greenphage’s first treatment, implements this concept to protect melon crops from Pseudomonas, the bacterium that destroys leaves and fruit. Released on the market by the company’s main shareholder, the Auvergne-based GreenTech group, the product will be followed by another solution, this time designed to treat agri-food effluents and wastewater.
This is achieved by targeting Escherichia coli, a bacterium that is found naturally in the intestinal flora of people, some strains of which are pathogenic and contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. "Greenphage’s mixes of bacteriophages make it possible to reduce the E. coli populations present in wastewater during treatment in wastewater purification plants by a factor of 1,000,” explain Denis Costechareyre and Pascal Peny, Chief Business Officer of Greenphage, a company accredited with the Deeptech label.
Today, Greenphage also wants to establish itself in the market for active dermocosmetic treatments. To successfully pursue these various growth opportunities, the company is planning to set up a bacteriophage factory, the first of its kind, to implement its process, part of which is patent-protected.
With this in mind, the company is seeking to raise €2 million to cover part of its total investment of €4 million, which includes innovation grants. As part of this effort, Greenphage applied for Boost Invest MedVallée and was selected in July. “Greenphage is now the first recipient of this fund-raising program in the Environment category,” highlight Denis Costechareyre and Pascal Peny with satisfaction. They both add: “Boost Invest MedVallée is very selective, which is why we are particularly proud that they chose our company.”
Greenphage’s business plan is to become the French leader in precision antibacterial solutions within the next three years. Faced with competition that only offers chemically-based solutions, Greenphage has developed a new approach based on values shared with MedVallée. “Thanks to its influence, MedVallée will help us gain access to leading investors, industrial partners, and a network of institutional players that will be fundamental to the development of our start-up,” they conclude.
