In the heart of Toulouse’s city center in Haute-Garonne, Nicolas Auriac and Quentin Jeandel established Neopouss, the first urban farm in the Pink City in 2021. The duo chose the Arnaud Bernard district to cultivate nutrient-rich and flavorful microgreens for local restaurateurs. In a compact basement space, they cultivate a variety of microgreens such as carrots, peas, mahogany, nasturtium, and borage in vertical modules that maintain ideal temperatures and humidity levels. Despite having diverse backgrounds in entrepreneurship, Nicolas and Quentin were driven to create a sustainable and meaningful venture.
In 2021, Neopouss won a regional grant for their climate change initiative. This success motivated them to pursue their urban farming vision and implement hydroponics techniques to reduce water and energy usage. They set up their first operation on rue Gabriel Peri with sales kicking off in November 2021. However, they soon realized the limitations of their initial location and relocated to Arnaud-Bernard in the summer of 2022. Currently, Neopouss cultivates around forty microgreen varieties sold to approximately forty restaurants, with renowned chefs like Yannick Delpech among their clientele.
Recognizing their potential for space travel initiatives, Neopouss was chosen to participate in the TechTheMoon incubator’s second cohort in 2022. As part of this program focused on lunar economy innovations managed by Nubbo and CNES, Neopouss highlighted its ability to preserve 97% of a plant’s nutrients after dehydration – making it an essential resource for astronauts during space missions who need access to essential nutrients while minimizing transported provisions’ weight. Collaborating with Toulouse’s Purpan agronomy engineering school on microgreen-based food supplements has further solidified Neopouss’ commitment to space exploration initiatives.
To expand its reach and impact beyond Toulouse, Neopouss recently opened a franchise in Marseille – demonstrating their dedication to promoting sustainable urban farming practices across France.
In conclusion, Nicolas Auriac and Quentin Jeandel’s vision for sustainability has led them to create one of Toulouse’s most innovative businesses – Neopouss Urban Farming Co., which is revolutionizing urban agriculture by growing microgreens using hydroponics techniques that minimize water usage while maintaining high quality standards. Their dedication towards sustainability has been recognized through various grants received by them since they started operations in 2021; however it is their collaboration with renowned chefs like Yannick Delpech that have helped them establish themselves as a go-to supplier for high quality fresh produce within Toulouse’s culinary scene.
Furthermore, Neopous’ participation at TechTheMoon incubator indicates that they are not only expanding beyond local markets but also looking towards future opportunities involving space exploration initiatives through partnership with CNES which is helping them explore new markets beyond earth.
With plans underway for expansion into other cities such as Marseille along with continued innovation within the industry itself – it looks like Nicolas Auriac & Quentin Jeandel have no plans on slowing down anytime soon!
