AgPlenus
AgPlenus is an Israel-based, AI-driven crop protection discovery subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN) that uses its ChemPass AI for Ag™ platform to identify novel modes of action for herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, licensing candidates exclusively to agrochemical partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersRehovot, Israel
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What AgPlenus does
AgPlenus is an Israel-based computational crop protection discovery company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN), established in November 2018 as a spin-out of Evogene's ag-chemical activities that had been underway since 2014. Headquartered in Rehovot (13 Gad Feinstein St., Park Rehovot), the company employs 11–50 staff and is led by CEO Dan Gelvan PhD, with Ofer Haviv (Evogene President and CEO) serving as Chairman of the Board. Its mission is to address the long-standing innovation gap in crop protection — particularly the absence of new herbicide modes of action over the past three decades — by applying AI to discover target-based, resistance-breaking chemistry for farmers worldwide.
The company's core technology is the ChemPass AI for Ag™ platform, which combines computational chemistry with experimental biology from target selection through greenhouse and field validation. Proprietary sub-modules include TargetSelector™ (novel druggable target protein identification), PointHit™ (deep-docking high-throughput virtual screening of billions of compounds), and a generative de novo molecular design tool. AgPlenus operates three product verticals — weed control (herbicides), disease control (fungicides), and insect control (insecticides) — with disclosed pipeline assets APTH-1 (herbicide, formerly under Bayer), APCO-12 (herbicide, under Corteva), APH1 (herbicide lead-stage with demonstrated 70–100% field efficacy against six of nine commercial weed species including glyphosate-resistant strains), and APTF-1/APTF-2/APTF-3 (fungicides targeting wheat blotch and other resistant diseases). The platform's intellectual property includes a pending patent application on the APH1 herbicide candidate.
AgPlenus operates as an exclusively B2B platform licensing business with no direct product sales. Revenue is generated through strategic licensing and collaboration agreements with global agrochemical corporations, providing upfront fees, ongoing research funding, milestone payments, and royalties on future sales. Active named partners are Corteva Agriscience (multi-year, ongoing since March 2020; APCO-12 exclusive commercialization license) and, until termination in 2025/2026, Bayer AG (APTH1 exclusive license, ended after the target failed to meet product criteria). Minor historical partners include BASF and ICL Group, and the company works with CROs such as SynTech Research for independent field validation. The company has no independent external investors or standalone funding rounds; any financing flows through parent Evogene, which reported $13.1M consolidated cash as of Q1 2026 following a $3.4M warrant exercise in February 2026.
AgPlenus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AgPlenus
- Legal name
- Ag Plenus Ltd.
- Website
- https://agplenus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AgPlenus is an Israel-based, AI-driven crop protection discovery subsidiary of Evogene Ltd. (NASDAQ: EVGN) that uses its ChemPass AI for Ag™ platform to identify novel modes of action for herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, licensing candidates exclusively to agrochemical partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AgPlenus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agrochemical / Crop Protection Discovery Software
- NAICS
- Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253), Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (325320)
- SIC
- Agricultural Chemicals (2870)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pest/Disease/Weed Detection & Forecasting Analytics (AFABAMAI)
Keywords
Where AgPlenus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rehovot
- HQ country
- Israel
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices3 records
Markets served
AgPlenus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Licensing & Royalty Revenue: AgPlenus licenses its proprietary computational technology and receives upfront payments, ongoing research funding, milestone payments, and royalties based on future product sales from collaboration partners (Bayer, Corteva). This represents the primary revenue mechanism.
- Strategic Partnership Funding: Parent company Evogene receives research funding through collaborations. Evogene consolidated cash of $13.1 million (Q1 2026) following warrant exercise. AgPlenus assets reverted from terminated Bayer herbicide collaboration after target protein failed to meet product criteria.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
AgPlenus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AgPlenus operates a target-based crop protection discovery platform that combines its proprietary ChemPass AI for Ag™ computational engine with experimental biology and chemistry. The company identifies novel druggable target proteins and runs massive parallel virtual screening of billions of molecules to discover new modes-of-action (MoA) herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides that break resistance. Resulting product candidates are then commercialized through exclusive licensing agreements with multinational agrochemical partners such as Bayer and Corteva.
Product overview
AgPlenus operates as a platform company combining the ChemPass AI for Ag™ computational engine with experimental validation capabilities. The core product offerings span three crop protection categories: Weed Control (Herbicides), Disease Control (Fungicides), and Insect Control (Insecticides). Supporting the platform are specialized tools including TargetSelector™ for target protein identification, PointHit™ for high-throughput virtual screening, and a de novo molecular design tool. The development pipeline includes herbicide candidates APTH-1 (Bayer collaboration) and APCO-12 (Corteva collaboration), along with fungicide candidates APTF-1, APTF-2, and APTF-3. The company employs a target-based approach addressing resistance from the start, mapping and selecting novel Modes of Action (MoAs), with one integrated platform serving diverse crop protection indications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ChemPass AI for Ag™ Proprietary AI-driven computational platform enabling discovery of novel druggable target proteins, virtual screening of billions of compounds, identification and optimization of small molecule inhibitors, and de novo molecule design for crop protection applications. Sold/licensed to agrochemical partners as the foundation of AgPlenus' target-based discovery offering.
- Weed Control (Herbicides)
Quantifiable outcome
- APH1 herbicide candidate demonstrated 70%-100% weed control in 6 out of 9 commercially important weed species at commercial dose rates in independent field tests
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use AgPlenus
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
AgPlenus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
AgPlenus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SynTech ResearchminorAgricultural R&D contract research organization located in California that conducted independent field tests confirming APH1 herbicide candidate efficacy against weeds at commercial application rates.
- Bayer AGcoreLicensing & collaboration agreement for development of novel sustainable broad-spectrum herbicide targeting APTH1 protein. Bayer has exclusive license for development and commercialization. AgPlenus uses its AI-driven computational technology to design and optimize molecules. Agreement includes upfront payment, research funding, milestone payments, and royalties on future product sales. Collaboration terminated in 2026 after target protein failed to meet product criteria, with assets reverting to AgPlenus.
- Corteva AgrisciencecoreMulti-year collaboration for development of novel herbicides addressing global weed resistance. Corteva applies its crop protection R&D expertise while AgPlenus applies its computational platform to optimize chemical families already validated for herbicidal activity through new MoAs. Corteva holds exclusive license to commercialize resulting herbicides. Achieved milestone of identifying novel MoA class APCO-12. Collaboration ongoing as of Q1 2026.
- BASFminorExisting ag-chemical collaboration transferred to AgPlenus from parent company Evogene. AgPlenus maintains ongoing collaborations with industry leaders including BASF for development of next-generation agrochemical products.
- ICL GroupminorOriginal ag-chemical collaboration transferred from Evogene to AgPlenus. ICL is a global specialty minerals and chemicals company. The nature of collaboration relates to ag-chemical product development.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AgPlenus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Biotalys: Biotalys is a Belgium-based agricultural biotech developing protein-based biocontrol solutions (e.g., AGROBODY™ platform) for crop protection, also addressing resistance challenges via novel modes of action. Direct peer given shared focus on AI/biotech-driven discovery of novel crop protection agents, B2B licensing model, and similar indication focus on fungicides and insecticides.
- Computomics: Computomics is a Germany-based computational biology company applying AI/machine learning to plant breeding, microbiome analysis, and crop research. Closely comparable to AgPlenus in applying AI-driven computational analysis to agricultural molecular discovery and serving enterprise agribusiness customers.
Emerging players
- Pairwise: Pairwise uses base editing and proprietary gene-editing tools to develop improved crops and novel plant traits for agriculture. Comparable to AgPlenus as a platform-driven agricultural biotech leveraging proprietary technology to license novel crop innovations to industry players.
- Inari Agriculture: Inari combines AI-driven predictive design with multiplex gene editing to develop next-generation seeds. Similar platform-based B2B model licensing novel agricultural innovations, with comparable customer profile of major seed and crop protection companies.
- Pivot Bio: Pivot Bio develops microbial nitrogen-fixing crop inputs using AI and synthetic biology, addressing fertilizer efficiency and sustainability. Comparable as a platform-driven agricultural biotech pursuing licensing and partnership-driven commercialization with major ag-input companies.
- Benson Hill: Benson Hill applies AI/ML and genomics to crop improvement via its CropOS™ platform, licensing improved seed varieties. Comparable technology stack (AI + biological data) and B2B go-to-market targeting major agribusiness customers.
- Sound Agriculture: Sound Agriculture develops on-demand crop solutions (e.g., SOURCE™ nitrogen-fixing microbes) using a discovery platform combining chemistry and biology. Comparable as a discovery-platform company addressing crop input innovation through novel biological/chemical modes of action.
- Tropic Biosciences: Tropic Biosciences uses gene editing (GEiGS®) to develop improved tropical crops and address crop disease. Comparable platform-company model targeting crop protection and agricultural productivity through novel biotechnology approaches.
- GreenLight Biosciences: GreenLight Biosciences develops RNA-based crop protection products (e.g., Ledprona) targeting specific insect pests. Comparable platform-driven discovery of novel crop protection agents with new modes of action, addressing resistance challenges.
Others
- Cibus: Cibus uses its Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS®) gene-editing platform to develop improved crop traits. Adjacent agricultural biotech applying proprietary technology platforms to address crop productivity and protection challenges for enterprise agribusiness customers.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AgPlenus social profiles
Digital presenceAgPlenus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AgPlenus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
AgPlenus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AgPlenus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AgPlenus
What does AgPlenus do?
AgPlenus operates a target-based crop protection discovery platform that combines its proprietary ChemPass AI for Ag™ computational engine with experimental biology and chemistry. The company identifies novel druggable target proteins and runs massive parallel virtual screening of billions of molecules to discover new modes-of-action (MoA) herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides that break resistance. Resulting product candidates are then commercialized through exclusive licensing agreements with multinational agrochemical partners such as Bayer and Corteva.
Is AgPlenus a public or private company?
AgPlenus is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was AgPlenus founded?
AgPlenus was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AgPlenus based?
AgPlenus is headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, in the Middle East region.
How does AgPlenus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Licensing & Royalty Revenue is the primary driver. The others are strategic Partnership Funding.
Who are AgPlenus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Biotalys and Computomics. Emerging players are Pairwise, Inari Agriculture, Pivot Bio, Benson Hill, Sound Agriculture, Tropic Biosciences and GreenLight Biosciences. Cibus is listed as an others.
Does AgPlenus have an API?
No public API is recorded for AgPlenus.
What industry is AgPlenus in?
AgPlenus's product category is Agrochemical / Crop Protection Discovery Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAMAI, Pest/Disease/Weed Detection & Forecasting Analytics. Its NAICS code is 3253 and its SIC code is 2870.