Our approach
When I launched BIENESIS within the Michelin Innovation Lab, technology was not the starting point, it was the consequence of listening to real needs in the field.
For a year, I traveled through vineyards and spoke with stakeholders across the industry. More than 200 conversations with growers, technical institutes, and regulators gave me a deep understanding of how to design a solution that truly addresses both the climatic and societal challenges winegrowers face, while respecting centuries-old cultivation practices.
Today, our ambition remains the same: to nurture these close connections and become a trusted long-term partner. We support vineyards that want to produce with confidence, balancing excellence, respect for terroir, environmental responsibility, and social commitment.
François Lemaire
President of BIENESIS
A new chapter begins
After four years of R&D, BIENESIS enters a new stage with an industrial-grade solution ready for large-scale deployment.
In 2026 we are launching the Constellation scientific program, a network of demonstration sites across diverse terroirs in France and internationally, to collect data on the Canopy in collaboration with our technical partners in each country.
Join us and become one of our pioneers!
2022 : Launch of the exploration
The project is launched at the Michelin Innovation Lab and the product requirements are co-developed with the viticulture community.
2023 : Prototyping and patent filing
The first working prototype is designed, and an international patent is filed for our retractable cover technology.
2024 : Spin-off of BIENESIS & field trials
François Lemaire and his friend Nathan Minguet, a former sustainable finance professional, create the independent startup BIENESIS.
After a promising first season of trials, BIENESIS secures a seed funding round with VIVELYS, a subsidiary of the OENEO Group focused on precision oenology.
2025 : The Canopy on top of the world
After four years of R&D, the Canopy BIENESIS wins the silver medal at the SITEVI Innovation Awards 2025, the leading international trade show for the viticulture and winemaking industry.
Second season of trials in Grands Crus de Bourgogne.
2026 : reinventing agriculture with the Canopy
Launch of our Constellation program: deploying a thousand Smart Canopies across iconic vineyards in France, Italy and the United States.
Our purpose
Together, protecting your terroir in a sustainable way
A solution co-designed with the wine industry
Our solution was born from real vineyard experience: hundreds of hours of discussions with growers, Chambers of Agriculture, IFV (French Vine and Wine Institute), INAO, interprofessional bodies, and research organizations helped shape a shared set of requirements. This collaborative philosophy continues today with our pioneering partners and our scientific program.
Sustainability as the core mission of BIENESIS
The Canopy BIENESIS is built to last, be repairable, and recyclable: fully solar-powered, robust metal structure, recyclable high-performance textiles… Moreover, it is complementary with sustainable farming practices such as organic agriculture, reduces irrigation and treatments.
Preserving heritage and tradition
The Canopy is intimately linked to the land it protects. It provides a buffer for winemakers threatened by climate change. We are committed to developing solutions that honor their heritage while offering hopeful prospects for future generations.
Partners
Partnering with key institutional actors to advance climate-resilient viticulture
Elegant, Reliable Protection for Your Terroir
Whether your plot is especially exposed or you simply want to improve yield stability, we’d love to talk with you and explore how the BIENESIS Canopy could make a difference on your parcel.