Smart Priming®: Different Perspectives on an Acquisition
The Seed In Tech team, from left to right : Romane MIRAY, Elvina FAUCHER and Frédéric CHAUFFOUR.
SMART Priming®: Cérience accelerates its development in Seed technologies with the acquisition of Seed In Tech
The acquisition of a majority stake in Seed In Tech marks a new stage in Cérience’s development. This innovative start-up is specialized in ‘priming’, a technology that enhances seed performance from the very earliest stages of their development.
To gain a better understanding of the challenges, we interviewed Frédéric Chauffour, founder of Seed In Tech, and Denis David, Deputy Managing Director of Cérience.
Frédéric, what is seed priming?
Frédéric Chauffour : Priming involves preparing the seed before sowing in order to improve its ability to germinate more quickly and uniformly. For growers, this results in more consistent crop emergence and establishment, especially in challenging conditions. Today, this technology is getting a growing interest as it helps to improve the performance of seeds and crops.
Why did Cérience choose to invest in such a technology?
Denis David : Seed technologies are seen as a key area of development for Cérience. With priming, we are adding a new stone to our long-standing expertise in disinfection, film-coating technology and seed coating. This technology helps to improve crop performance and address climate and environmental challenges. Our aim is to offer seed producers an ever more comprehensive range of technologies to enhance the value of their seeds.
Frédéric, what are the benefits of SMART Priming®, developed by Seed-in-Tech?
Frédéric Chauffour : Smart Priming goes beyond traditional priming. It is the result of more than ten years of research carried out with scientific partners such as INRAE and AgroParisTech. This technology improves crop emergence and germination rates, extends the shelf life of primed seeds and naturally enhances protection for young seedlings. It is also part of a more sustainable approach, offering solutions that meet the market’s environmental expectations, particularly in Organic farming.
Frédéric, why did you join Cérience, and what opportunities does this bring for the development of Smart Priming?
Frédéric Chauffour : For several years we were looking for a partner able to turn a scientific innovation into a technology that could be rolled out on a large scale. Cérience was the obvious choice, as we share the same vision: to create greater value from seeds through innovation.
Cérience brings a combination of recognised expertise in Seed technologies, high-performance industrial tools and close ties with seed producers in France and across Europe. Beyond the resources themselves, we have found a genuine culture of innovation and a commitment to investing in the long-term development of Smart Priming.
This synergy between our scientific expertise and Cérience’s Know-how now enables us to accelerate its development and take it to a whole new level.
Denis, what are the prospects for growth now?
Denis David : Our target is clear: to continue our R&D work and scale up Smart Priming for several key vegetable species. In the coming years, we will also invest in the equipment and expertise needed to support the expansion of this business.
This acquisition marks a new milestone for Cérience in seed technologies and reinforces our ambition: to become a leading technology partner for seed producers in Europe.
A warm welcome to Elvina, Romane and Frédéric as they embark on the Cérience adventure!
Plus d'info : www.seedintech.com