AgTech is not known for speed. So it’s not every day that an agriculture startup goes from idea to pilot production in less than three years. But that’s exactly the story of Green Fusyon, a France-based microalgae company innovating the future of sustainable protein production.
“Our vision is simple,” says Chief Marketing Officer Pascal Vaughan. “Green Fusyon is the future number one reference for microalgae in Europe.”
Green Fusyon set out to lower the cost of chlorella – a nutrient-dense microalgae cousin of spirulina – by tapping into existing agricultural infrastructure.
Today the company is scaling production, securing funding, and attracting industrial interest, but its journey was accelerated by pivotal moments at VivaTech.
Early Days: From Concept to Prototype
Green Fusyon began in late 2022 as a student entrepreneurial project when the original founders saw an opportunity to produce chlorella sustainably and affordably. Chlorella is rich in protein, omega-3s, vitamin B12 and antioxidants – nutrients increasingly in demand from consumers looking for plant-based, sustainable alternatives. But around 90% of chlorella is imported from Asia, making supply both expensive and vulnerable. “There wasn’t a version of chlorella that kept all the nutrients and quality, but with a price tag that was affordable,” Vaughan explains. "So the idea was to find a way to lower production costs.” Green Fusyon’s breakthrough came from looking outside traditional food production and toward energy infrastructure. Across Europe, many farmers operate biogas plants that produce methane, as well as CO₂ and nitrogen gases that are often treated as low-value byproducts. “We looked at the biogas industry and realized we could use their CO₂ and nitrogen to feed the chlorella and lower production costs,” says Vaughan. Connecting directly to these biogas facilities and turning industrial byproducts into valuable cultivators reduced resource costs and opened the door to affordable, high-quality European-grown chlorella. When its first prototype worked successfully, it marked the moment Green Fusyon shifted from promising idea to viable technology. It also gave the team the validation it needed to take a major leap into the innovation ecosystem at VivaTech.
VivaTech: The Catalyst for Attention
Green Fusyon had a compelling concept and working prototype, but it needed to capture attention and credibility to move forward. So in 2024, the team entered the Next Startupper Challenge at VivaTech… and won. The impact was immediate. “That’s when we got visibility. A lot of visibility,” Vaughan recalls. “That really was the start of the higher journey for Green Fusyon.” This early recognition did more than generate buzz – it shifted how the team saw itself. “It really gave us that first spark to then go for even more, even higher,” says Vaughan. “It built a lot of confidence. Confidence in the fact that we could go to see more important people and talk to them about the project and be taken seriously.” As part of winning the Next Startupper Challenge, Green Fusyon returned to VivaTech in 2024 as an exhibitor. Having a presence on the show floor translated directly into business opportunities. “To be honest, it was amazing,” Vaughan recalls. “We had a stand there. That really brought a lot of attention to us, and it got us a lot of leads and new investors, and also new people interested in the project.” Those first two years at VivaTech became a launchpad. Green Fusyon parlayed this early success into more competitions, expert mentorship, and the financial backing that would enable its next milestone: pilot production.
Real Outcomes: A Pilot in Normandy
Fast forward to today, and Green Fusyon has gone from concept to operational pilot. Based in Normandy, the company is now producing kilos of chlorella in its first photobioreactor setup. “A pilot is a small version of a very big technological piece of equipment,” explains Vaughan. “It's called the photobioreactor. It's a very big container filled with water and in which we insert light to grow the chlorella via photosynthesis.” Green Fusyon is aiming to produce 100 tonnes of chlorella per year within the next three years. It’s the kind of scalability and revenue potential that investors and corporate partners look for when evaluating emerging AgTech ventures.
Advancing Toward Industrial Scale
Green Fusyon is currently in growth stage and working on its transition from pilot operations toward scaling and commercialization. Unlike consumer food startups creating products for retail shelves, Green Fusyon’s go-to-market strategy is B2B. That means the company is targeting industrial manufacturers seeking sustainable protein and nutrient sources, foodtech companies who want to use microalgae in plant-based formulations, and corporate sustainability teams looking for low-impact ingredient sourcing. But Green Fusyon isn’t chasing a niche market – the team aims to be a part of a global shift in how nutrition is produced and sourced. “I believe the future of the food industry will be based on proteins and omega-3s from microalgae or plant-based alternatives,” predicts Vaughan. For a startup that began as a student project, this success is a testament to the power of visibility and networking on the global stage. Green Fusyon is proof that when innovation meets opportunity, business gets done.
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