Innovad Group recently announced a joint venture with Olea Fortius, a Larissa-based company that specializes in natural ingredients derived from olive-oil coproducts for animal nutrition.
Under the agreement, effective September 30, 2026, Innovad Group becomes the majority shareholder of Olea Fortius alongside its founders, including the scientific company FoodOxys, a University of Thessaly spin-off, which will remain fully involved in the company’s development.
The partnership gives Innovad Group direct access to Mediterranean botanicals and strengthens its ability to develop science-backed phytogenic solutions from source to market.
Building on three years of collaboration
Since 2023, Olea Fortius has supplied Innovad Group with high-phenolic olive pulp, obtained from the co-products of olive-oil production. Over this period, the companies have developed a research program spanning laboratory testing, cell models and in vivo trials.
This collaboration has already led to Novinox® Nat Olea, Innovad Group’s natural olive-based antioxidant, and is now supporting the development of olive-based solution – Korevion® – that Innovad Group will unveil at EuroTier 2026 in Hanover from November 10-13.
The joint venture builds on three years of successful collaboration, taking the relationship beyond supply to create a shred platform for developing natural ingredients that are fully characterized, controlled, and scientifically proven.
Ben Letor
“This joint venture brings together Innovad Group’s global reach, Olea Fortius’ expertise in Mediterranean plant actives and FoodOxys’ scientific capabilities. It strengthens Herbonis’ expertise in plant-based solutions and creates new opportunities for innovation and differentiation. Together, we will develop proven, sustainable solutions that support animal nutrition and health and create lasting value for our customers worldwide,” said Ben Letor, CEO of Innovad Group.
Natural ingredients, from source to batch
The joint venture will focus on three areas:
- ✅ Standardized olive pulp, conventional and organic, while preserving the olive’s natural composition, including polyphenols and triterpenes.
- ✅ Essential oils from Greek aromatic plants, with oregano oil as the first development project.
- ✅ Pawlive, a range of extra virgin olive oil sprays developed for companion animals.
The partners are also investing in a processing site near Larissa, Greece, which will serve as a hub for quality control, processing and distribution to international markets in compliance with GMP+ feed safety requirements.
Science at the core
FoodOxys, a spin-off of the University of Thessaly and a founding shareholder of Olea Fortius, brings long-standing expertise in oxidative stress, biomarkers and the characterization of plant bioactives.
Its laboratory already shares analytical methods with Innovad Group’s laboratories in Essen (Belgium) and Augst (Switzerland). Together, the partners will screen new Mediterranean plants and build the evidence behind each ingredient, from laboratory testing to animal trials.
Dr Fotis Tekos
“FoodOxys was founded to translate scientific excellence into solutions that advance human and animal well-being. Olea Fortius grew from our partnership with Aris, an internationally recognized olive-oil expert, and our shared ambition to enhance animal nutrition while creating value from olive-oil production side streams. We are delighted that, through this partnership with Innovad Group, Olea Fortius is entering a new era of accelerated international growth,” said Dr Fotis Tekos, CEO of Olea Fortius.
Strengthening Herbonis, the Group’s phytogenic expertise
The joint venture further strengthens Herbonis, Innovad Group’s flagship brand for phytogenic and botanical solutions, built on more than 25 years of expertise in botanicals.
Through partnerships with Olea Fortius and FoodOxys, Herbonis moves directly to the source of Mediterranean botanicals, giving Innovad Group greater control over the characterization, standardization and validation of plantderived ingredients.
This creates a stronger foundation for developing traceable, scientifically substantiated natural solutions that can be consistently delivered to customers worldwide.
Dr Christos Gougoulias
“This joint venture is a new landmark for Innovad Group. Together with Olea Fortius and FoodOxys, we can move seamlessly from plant selection and characterization to efficacy validation and mode-ofaction understanding. This strategic partnership opens exciting opportunities to discover and develop new Mediterranean phytogenic solutions backed by science and proven in practice,” said Dr Christos Gougoulias, Strategic Innovation Director at Innovad Group.
Aris Kefalogiannis
“This venture is the natural next step after three years of successful colaboration. Our ambition has always been to unlock the value of Greek olives and Mediterranean plants through science and innovation. With Innovad Group’s international reach and the scientific expertise of FoodOxys, we now have the platform to further invest in Thessaly and bring these natural ingredients to animal nutrition markets around the world,” said Aris Kefalogiannis, Co-Founder of Olea Fortius.
About Olea Fortius
Founded in 2022 in Larissa, Greece, Olea Fortius turns olive-oil by-products into highphenolic olive pulp for animal feed. Its work builds on University of Thessaly research into how olive by-product feeds improve antioxidant status in lambs, broilers and piglets. FoodOxys, a university spin-off specializing in oxidative stress and natural bioactives, is a founding shareholder.