Lyophitech, the startup revolutionizing freeze-drying, sets up in Vénissieux

Since 2017, the startup Lyophitech has been revitalizing a process invented in France but long neglected: freeze-drying! The company has chosen Vénissieux, in the Lyon metropolitan area, as the location for its industrial operations.

In collaboration with LAGEPP (Laboratory of Automation, Process Engineering, and Pharmaceutical Engineering) at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 and the Pulsalys incubator, Lyophitech developed a new patented technology that significantly reduces the time and cost of freeze-drying. In November 2022, after five years of research and development, the company established its production site at 17 rue Eugène Hénaff in Vénissieux.

Thanks to this innovation, developed with the expertise of Lyon universities and implemented in the Vénissieux workshop, Lyophitech contributes to reviving an industrial know-how born in France!

Lyophitech: inventors of dynamic freeze-drying

Freeze-drying is a preservation method that involves freezing a product and then dehydrating it. Invented in France at the beginning of the 20th century, it had not seen significant innovation since 1950. The process traditionally requires high labor and maintenance and is very time-consuming: drying a 2 cm-thick sample typically takes 48 hours.

With the dynamic freeze-drying method developed by Lyophitech, this time is reduced to less than 24 hours. The principle relies on improving heat and mass transfer during the drying phase. Faster and therefore less costly, this solution allows the full potential of freeze-drying to be exploited. Its inventor is Jean Delaveau, President of Lyophitech, an AgroParisTech-trained engineer and former Industrialization Director at Merial.

Freeze-drying is also the only preservation method that maintains the natural properties of ingredients. This makes it especially valuable for the agricultural and food sectors, as well as cosmetics and healthcare. Indeed, it preserves increasingly complex molecules, including vaccines, which is of particular interest to the pharmaceutical industry.

Lyophitech currently offers contract freeze-drying services for the nutrition and cosmetics markets. With its expertise, the company can also supply laboratory- and industrial-scale equipment. These machines will soon be available in compliance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards to serve the healthcare sector.

The Lyon metropolitan area: a synergy of skills and tools supporting innovation and health production

For its development in the Lyon region, Lyophitech benefited from the support of the Pulsalys incubator, Lyon University R&D laboratories, and the Axel’One Campus platform. This site, located on the LyonTech-la-Doua campus in Villeurbanne, hosts collaborative projects from academic laboratories in the fields of processes and innovative materials.

Lyophitech has also been supported by the Lyon Métropole life sciences team since its inception. The Métropole helped with its property search for creating its industrial unit and supported the company in applying for funding under the “France Relance: investment support in strategic sectors” plan. As a winner, Lyophitech received a €1.2 million grant from the French government for an investment project valued between €2.5 and 3 million. Additionally, during Biotuesdays on March 1, 2022, Lyophitech presented its activity and new industrial shaping workshop in Vénissieux to the Lyon life sciences ecosystem.

ONLYLYON Invest, the economic development agency for the Lyon region, assisted the company in securing funding for about ten additional hires (through a revitalization agreement) and connected it with a consulting firm for the layout of its clean rooms.

Together, these efforts help develop and preserve a strategic industrial know-how in the Lyon metropolitan area. From creation and experimentation to R&D and industrialization, Lyophitech received tailored support at every stage of its project.

Watch the video interview with Jean Delaveau, President of Lyophitech

Jean Delaveau discusses the freeze-drying activity and innovation developed by his company. He explains why he chose Vénissieux for the business, how ONLYLYON Invest supported him, and what the agency contributed to the project.