What Philoseed does

Philoseed is a privately-held Israeli agricultural biotechnology company founded in 2008 that specializes in the breeding, agro-technology, and production of proprietary tomato and pepper seed varieties. Headquartered in Moshav Yashresh (Yad Binyamin), Israel, the company operates with a team of 11-50 employees drawn from senior experts at Israel's leading seed companies. Its commercial portfolio spans six tomato segments — Single Picking, Cherry, Dark Green, Cluster, Pink, and Saladette/Roma — plus sweet and hot pepper lines, with emphasis on disease-resistance traits including ToMV, TYLCV, TSWV, and most prominently ToBRFV (Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus).

The company's technology platform combines conventional plant breeding with DNA marker-based trait integration and AI-assisted genomic analysis delivered through a strategic partnership with NRGene, initiated in November 2020. NRGene contributes ultra-density genetic maps, a cloud-based breeding platform, and predictive computational genomics that Philoseed uses to accelerate trait integration across its tomato and pepper varieties. In February 2022, the partnership produced a major scientific milestone: identification of a unique genomic region essential for ToBRFV resistance, for which Philoseed has filed a patent. The company follows a rigorous release protocol requiring test growing on target sites and internal taste-testing approval prior to commercial release.

Philoseed runs a B2B, sales-led go-to-market model, selling proprietary seeds directly to commercial growers and through regional distributors in markets including Israel, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Sicily. Revenue is generated through one-time seed-purchase transactions across tomato and pepper lines, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The company's value proposition targets both grower economics — yield, disease resistance, uniformity, and shelf life — and end-consumer satisfaction (taste, firmness, color), positioning its varieties in the premium commercial produce segment.

Name

Philoseed

Legal name

Philoseed

Website

https://philoseed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Philoseed is an Israeli tomato and pepper seed breeding company that develops proprietary, disease-resistant, high-yielding varieties for commercial growers, using DNA marker-based genomics in partnership with NRGene to address threats including ToBRFV.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vegetable Seeds

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (11121)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Breeding & Variety Development (Conventional) (AFAGAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vegetable Seeds (Open-Pollinated & Hybrid) (AFABAFAE), Biotechnology & Gene-Edited Trait Development (AFAGAIAG), Trait Discovery & Functional Genomics (Target ID/Validation) (AFABALAC), Seed Trait Licensing & IP Management (Licensing, freedom-to-operate) (AFABALAJ)

Keywords

• Tomato seed breeding
• Vegetable seed varieties
• Disease resistant seeds
• Pepper seed production
• Agricultural biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Moshava

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tomato Seed Sales: Philoseed generates revenue through the sale of proprietary tomato seed varieties including Single Picking, Cherry, Dark Green, Cluster, Pink, and Saladette/Roma types.
2. Pepper Seed Sales: Revenue from hot pepper and sweet pepper seed varieties.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Philoseed develops and sells proprietary tomato and pepper seed varieties to commercial growers worldwide. Its portfolio spans Single Picking, Cherry, Dark Green, Cluster, Pink, and Saladette/Roma tomato types, plus sweet and hot pepper varieties, with integrated disease-resistance traits (ToBRFV, ToMV, TYLCV, TSWV, Va, Vd, Fol) developed through DNA marker-based breeding in collaboration with NRGene.

Product overview

Philoseed is a tomato breeding company specializing in the development of superior tomato and pepper seed varieties. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into distinct lines: Single Picking tomatoes (large-fruited varieties for individual harvesting), Cherry tomatoes (including round cluster and mini plum types), Dark Green tomatoes (pinton-style varieties), Cluster tomatoes (big round varieties for cluster harvesting), Pink tomatoes, and Saladette/Roma Type processing tomatoes. Additionally, Philoseed has expanded into pepper varieties including sweet peppers and hot peppers. The company integrates state-of-the-art know-how in breeding, agro-technology, and seed production, with a focus on developing varieties with strong disease resistances including ToBRFV, ToMV, TYLCV, TSWV, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Picking Tomato Varieties Single picking tomato seed varieties designed for individual fruit harvesting, featuring various sizes, colors, and disease resistances including ToMV, TYLCV, and TSWV; targeted at commercial growers.
• Cherry Tomato Varieties Cherry tomato seed varieties including round cluster and mini plum types, known for high BRIX levels and excellent firmness; targeted at commercial growers producing for fresh markets.
• Dark Green (Pinton-Style) Tomato Varieties Pinton-style tomato varieties eaten when green, featuring high color contrast between red and green areas with intense green shoulders; targeted at commercial growers in specialty fresh markets.
• Cluster (Big Round) Tomato Varieties Big round cluster tomato seed varieties suitable for cluster or single picking harvesting systems, with good shelf life and vibrant red color; targeted at commercial greenhouse growers.
• Pink Tomato Varieties Pink tomato seed varieties with excellent firmness and shelf life, featuring pink color and good hot setting capabilities; targeted at commercial growers serving specialty fresh markets.
• Saladette/Roma Type Tomato Varieties Determinate and indeterminate saladette and Roma-type processing tomato seed varieties with multiple disease resistances; targeted at commercial processing and fresh market growers.
• Sweet Pepper Varieties Sweet pepper seed varieties including blocky types with 4 lobes, suitable for greenhouse, tunnel, and open field cultivation; targeted at commercial vegetable growers.
• Hot Pepper Varieties Hot pepper seed varieties in horn shape with varying heat levels and colors, suitable for different growing seasons; targeted at commercial vegetable growers.
• Hybla Tomato Variety New tomato variety developed through Philoseed's breeding program and commercially launched in Spain and Italy in June 2021; targeted at commercial growers in Southern European markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• ToBRFV high resistance tomato varieties in development

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NRGenecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020NRGene and Philoseed collaborate for DNA marker-based ToBRFV (Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus) trait integration. NRGene provides predictive computational abilities and AI-based genomic technology while Philoseed contributes its unique resistance source and breeding expertise. The collaboration aims to develop high-resistant tomato varieties to combat the rapidly spreading virus affecting tomato production globally. In February 2022, the companies announced a major milestone discovering a unique genomic region essential for tomato resistance to ToBRFV. The partnership leverages NRGene's cloud-based breeding platform for genomic analysis and Philoseed's tomato breeding experience.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sakata Seed: Japanese-headquartered global vegetable and flower seed company with a sizable tomato and pepper program. Comparable as a specialist breeder serving B2B protected-cultivation growers across multiple regions.
• Takii & Co. Japanese family-owned vegetable and flower seed breeder with international distribution. Comparable in size and specialist positioning to Philoseed, with overlapping tomato and pepper breeding activity.
• Hazera Seeds: Israel-headquartered vegetable seed company (part of Limagrain) offering a broad tomato and pepper portfolio with global distribution. Direct competitor in the same Israeli-origin tomato breeding niche, targeting overlapping Mediterranean and export markets.
• Rijk Zwaan: Dutch family-owned vegetable seed breeder with deep tomato and pepper programs and global reach. Highly comparable business model: family of varieties, B2B sales to commercial growers, disease-resistance-led breeding pipeline.
• Vilmorin & Cie (Vilmorin-Mikado): French-Japanese vegetable seed company with significant tomato and pepper variety development. Comparable as a specialist seed house with international distribution and a focus on disease-resistance traits.
• HM.Clause (Limagrain): US-headquartered vegetable seed brand of Limagrain offering tomato and pepper varieties globally. Direct peer with overlapping product categories, similar B2B channel structure, and trait-led breeding.
• Enza Zaden: Dutch vegetable seed specialist with major tomato and pepper breeding operations worldwide. Comparable as a privately held, breeding-led challenger brand competing against the agrochemical majors in protected-cultivation segments.

Broad incumbents

• Syngenta (vegetable seeds): Global agrochemical and seed major with a meaningful vegetable seed business including tomato. Overlaps in commercial grower customers and disease-resistance traits but operates at vastly greater scale and scope.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions (vegetable seeds): Global agricultural inputs company with vegetable seed operations post-Nunhems divestiture history. Competes with Philoseed for tomato and pepper grower accounts but as part of a portfolio spanning chemicals, seeds, and digital tools.
• Bayer Crop Science (vegetable seeds / Nunhams legacy): Global agrochemical and seed major with substantial tomato and pepper variety offerings inherited from Nunhems. Overlaps with Philoseed in protected-cultivation tomato but competes as part of a much broader crop protection and trait portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philoseed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Philoseed