Elicit Plant: the French agri biotechnology company expands its activity in Brazil

Elicit Plant, a French agri-biotechnology company based in Vilhonneur near La Rochefoucauld in Charente, faced the formidable scientific challenge of providing an answer to the twofold problem of agriculture: how to prevent crop diseases and how to avoid water stress (the lack of water that prevents a plant from growing normally).

The company needed to expand internationally to reach producing countries such as Brazil and the USA, where 70 million hectares are destined for the cultivation of soybeans without irrigation. After four years of research developing their biostimulant solution, they needed to successfully establish themselves in Brazil to access this massive market opportunity.

The challenge was not just scientific but also operational - they needed to navigate the complex Brazilian regulatory environment to obtain marketing authorizations, establish a proper corporate structure, and ensure full legal compliance while setting up operations in a foreign market with different business practices and regulations.

To successfully establish itself in Brazil, Elicit Plant called on the support of three specialized players in the Brazilian market: Business France, the law firm Veirano Advogados, and the accounting company Europartner.

Business France, a founding member of Team France Export, offered a clear, effective and adapted system to Elicit Plant, providing a continuum of solutions from preparation to international projection and guiding the SME towards solutions that met their specific needs.

Veirano Advogados assisted the French company in setting up its corporate structure and provided full legal support services in Brazil, ensuring proper legal framework for operations.

The Europartner team provided comprehensive operational support in the following key areas:
- Accounting and financial management services
- Legal administration support
- Ongoing operational guidance for Brazilian market compliance

This multi-partner approach ensured that Elicit Plant had complete coverage of all aspects needed for successful market entry - from regulatory guidance to legal structure setup to ongoing operational support.

Elicit Plant successfully established operations in São Paulo, Brazil, positioning themselves to access the massive Brazilian agricultural market.

The company's biostimulant solution demonstrated significant commercial potential in the Brazilian market:
- On soybeans, they achieved 20% more yield with excellent return on investment
- For farmers, the gains were 3 to 7 times higher than the initial investment
- The solution significantly reduces crop water requirements while securing harvest potential
- They positioned themselves to serve 70 million hectares destined for soybean cultivation without irrigation in Brazil

The successful establishment enabled Elicit Plant to pursue marketing authorizations in Brazil, one of the world's largest agricultural markets, alongside their efforts in France and the USA. This expansion represented a major milestone in their international growth strategy and provided access to a market where their water-stress solution could have massive impact given Brazil's agricultural scale and climate challenges.