Evogene

Evogene

Evogene was founded in 2002 by researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science to commercialize computational biology for gene discovery. The company went public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2002 and later listed on NASDAQ (EVGN) before voluntarily delisting in 2024. Its core technology, the Gene Discovery and Optimization System (GODS), applies machine learning to predict gene functions across multiple organisms. Evogene's strategy centers on licensing its AI platform across three main verticals: agriculture (Crop Protection through its Canonic subsidiary), human microbiome (through its Biomica subsidiary), and industrial applications. The company has disclosed partnerships with Corteva Agriscience and Syngenta for crop-trait development, and with Merck for microbiome-based therapeutics. Geographically, Evogene operates from its Rehovot headquarters, with research collaborations spanning North America and Europe. As of 2024, Evogene employed approximately 120 people, with R&D comprising the majority. The firm has raised over $200 million in public equity and grants since inception, including a 2022 private placement of $12 million (per the firm's SEC filings, 2022). It also maintains a U.S. subsidiary, Evogene Inc., based in Wilmington, Delaware. No philanthropic foundation or separate operating company is publicly disclosed. Evogene's structural differentiator is its platform-as-a-service model: rather than developing its own products end-to-end, it licenses its AI-powered gene discovery engine to large partners in exchange for upfront fees, milestones, and royalties. This model reduces capital intensity while retaining upside via downstream success, a structure uncommon among pure ag-biotech firms.