Jean-Gabriel Levon co-founded Ynsect in 2011 with Antoine Hubert, Fabrice Berro and Alexis Angot. Hubert was CEO until July 2023. The company, based at Évry, turned insects into proteins for animal feed and fertilizer.
Ynsect opened its first farm in Dole in 2015 and announced the Poulainville vertical farm in 2018. Its fertilizer was authorised in 2020, and in 2021 it bought Protifarm in the Netherlands. Over 14 years it raised about €600 million, including a 2020 round with Astanor and Robert Downey Jr.'s fund and a €160 million Series D in 2023.
Costs doubled in 2022 and 2023, and insect meal cost two to ten times more than fishmeal or soy. The company entered safeguard proceedings in September 2024 and judicial reorganisation in March 2025.
In June 2025 about 70% of its 200 jobs were cut. In December 2025 a court ordered liquidation.