# Biobest

a Belgian bumblebee and biological-control leader whose bee-microbiome work builds on Lactobacillus melliventris — a native bumblebee gut bacterium that lifted Bombus terrestris colony survival 2.5-fold and increased flowers visited by more than 10% in greenhouse trials.

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/biobest/
Updated: 2026-07-07

- Country: Belgium

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Funding | Biobest has raised various rounds, including a €98.5 million investment from Sofina, a €10 million investment from Mérieux, and a €365 million capital increase. Total reported funds raised include $257.76M in private equity. | https://biofirstgroup.com/pages/our-history, https://www.biobest.com/en-CA/about, https://www.biobest.com/en-GB/news/inauguration-of-facility-and-revealing-of-a-new-structure-and-name, https://www.floridienne.be/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FLO-G01-20230203-Augmentation_capital_BBE_EN-1.pdf |
| Capacity | A new 4000sqm predatory mite-rearing facility in Belgium significantly boosted production capabilities. | https://www.biobest.com/en-GB/news/inauguration-of-facility-and-revealing-of-a-new-structure-and-name |
| Production site | Headquartered in Westerlo, Belgium, the group operates 32 local production and/or distribution subsidiaries worldwide. | https://www.biobest.com/en-GB/news/inauguration-of-facility-and-revealing-of-a-new-structure-and-name, https://www.sofinagroup.com/project/biofirst/ |
| Headcount | The group employs over 2,800 people worldwide. | https://www.biobest.com/en-GB/news/inauguration-of-facility-and-revealing-of-a-new-structure-and-name |
| Revenue | Historical reported sales milestones include reaching €50 million, €100 million, and €300 million. | https://biofirstgroup.com/pages/our-history, https://www.biobest.com/en-CA/about |

Independent sources: biofirstgroup.com, floridienne.be, sofinagroup.com

## Technologies

- [Biopreparations for bee health](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/bee-health-biopreparations/)
- [Pheromones & semiochemicals for plant protection](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/pheromones-semiochemicals-plant-protection/)