Bernard Benayoun is the President and Founder of Bamboo For Life, a French greentech startup pioneering nature-based wastewater treatment using proprietary bamboo phytoremediation technology. He is a recognized expert in phytoremediation and has dedicated over two decades to transforming bamboo into a global sanitation solution.

A graduate of the prestigious Ecole Boulle in Paris, Bernard spent seven years on the island of La Reunion where he discovered the extraordinary properties of bamboo, which ignited his lifelong mission in ecological sanitation. In 2002, he co-created the Bambou-Assainissement technology, laying the scientific groundwork that would eventually become Bamboo For Life.

Bernard operates from the conviction that 90% of the world's wastewater goes untreated, representing both a public health crisis and an untapped resource. His approach uniquely eliminates sewage sludge entirely, a first in the wastewater treatment industry, while simultaneously sequestering CO2 and producing biomass.

Since co-founding Bamboo For Life in 2018 with Myriam Lankry, Bernard has grown the company into a recognized innovator, earning membership in the Solar Impulse World Alliance for Efficient Solutions and partnering with NGE, France's 4th largest construction group. In 2025, the company secured a 1.8 million euro funding round from private investors and the InvESS't Paca fund.

Bamboo For Life has deployed over 50 wastewater treatment stations across domestic, agri-food, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors throughout France. Bernard has set an ambitious target of 30 million euros in revenue by 2030, with international expansion underway.