French startup developing urine-based plant biostimulant secures €8.4mn

Toopi Organics, a French startup that uses human urine to create plant biostimulants, announced on Tuesday that it has received €8.4mn from the European Innovation Council Accelerator. It said the funding comprises a €2.4mn non-dilutive grant and €6mn in equity to be invested in 2025.

The biotech firm said that this will enable it to launch 120 agronomic trials in six European states: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

Toopi states that its urine-based plant biostimulant is an organic, low-carbon product that improves the uptake of phosphorous, enhances early growth, and can partially replace phosphate-based fertilizers.

The company’s CEO, Alexandra Carpentier, said in a press release: ‘We believe urine is the missing link to close the nutrient loop between consumers and farmers. Urine does not contain enough nutrients to feed plants, but it is an excellent medium to cultivate micro-organisms of agronomic interest. These micro-organisms can solubilize soil phosphorus, capture atmospheric nitrogen, or protect crops from drought stress. Upcycling urine is therefore beneficial on many levels: water preservation, fertilizer use and soil quality, as well as carbon footprint and crop productivity.’

Toopi, which raised a €16mn Series A round in September, added that its first full-scale industrial site will be up and running in France in 2025, and that a second one will follow in Belgium.