What Planasa does

Planasa (legal entity Plantas de Navarra, S.A.) is a Spain-headquartered global plant genetics and nursery company founded in 1973 in Navarra. It operates at the upstream end of the fresh-produce value chain, developing and commercializing proprietary plant varieties — primarily berries (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry), plus asparagus, garlic, endive, and avocado — through five trademarked breeding programs (Planasa Earliness, Premium, Jumbo, Yield, and Shelf Life) that combine traditional breeding with molecular markers, phenotyping, and genomic selection. The company controls over 225 registered varieties and runs 7 R&D centers plus more than 1,500 hectares of nursery infrastructure across 8 countries, producing over 1 billion plants annually for direct sale to commercial growers and licensing to partner nurseries.

The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) one-time plant material sales of plugs and container plants to commercial growers; (2) variety licensing and royalties on proprietary genetics, including named licensees such as California Giant Berry Farms, Mainland, Alpine Fresh, Fresh Kampo, and Berry People; and (3) technical advisory services delivered by agronomists across the growing cycle using agricultural management software. The customer base is primarily commercial berry, asparagus, garlic, and endive growers, with downstream retail relationships (Tesco, Asda) reflecting the varietal pull-through rather than direct purchase. Planasa sells into 25+ countries across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa.

The company is a subsidiary of EW GROUP, a diversified German genetics conglomerate, after Cinven acquired a 65% controlling stake in 2015. In May 2026 Planasa expanded its genetics portfolio through the acquisition of US sweet corn breeder Illinois Foundation Seeds, signaling a strategic pivot toward becoming a multi-crop genetics platform rather than a specialty-crop specialist. Leadership is headed by CEO Michael Brinkmann (appointed 2020, previously CEO of SanLucar Group) and CFO Rafael Guitián Fernández de Córdoba (since 2019).

Name

Planasa

Legal name

Plantas de Navarra, S.A.

Website

https://planasa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Planasa is a Spain-based global plant genetics company that breeds, licenses, and propagates proprietary berry, asparagus, garlic, endive, and avocado varieties to commercial growers and licensees across more than 25 countries, supported by seven R&D centers and 1,500+ hectares of nursery operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Plant Varieties & Nursery Stock

NAICS

Strawberry Farming (111333), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Greenhouse Fruit & Berry Production (Strawberries, Specialty Fruits) (AFAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nursery Stock & Propagule Production (Cuttings, Rootstocks, Grafts) (AFAGAIAO), Asparagus, Artichoke & Specialty Vegetable Farming (Asparagus, Artichokes, Celery, Okra) (AFAGADAI), Potted Flowering Plants & Bedding Plants Production (Annuals, Perennials, Plugs) (AFAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Plant breeding varieties
• Berry plant nurseries
• Strawberry varieties
• Blueberry plant production
• Agricultural genetics

Headquarters

HQ city

Valtierra

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Plant Material Sales: Production and sale of high-quality plant material including strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, asparagus, garlic, and endive plants to growers worldwide
2. Variety Licensing: Licensing of proprietary plant varieties to growers and nurseries, allowing them to cultivate and commercialize Planasa genetics
3. Technical Support Services: Agricultural technical advisory services provided to growers to maximize performance of Planasa varieties throughout the production cycle

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Planasa develops, breeds, propagates, and sells proprietary plant varieties (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, asparagus, garlic, endive, avocado) and licenses its genetics to growers worldwide. The company operates 1,500+ hectares of nursery production across 8 countries, complemented by R&D and agronomic technical support services to help commercial growers optimize crop performance.

Product overview

Planasa is a global agri-food company specializing in plant variety innovation, nurseries, and fresh produce. The company's product portfolio centers on berry varieties (blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry) developed through five proprietary breeding programs: Planasa Earliness, Planasa Premium, Planasa Jumbo, Planasa Yield, and Planasa Shelf Life. These programs leverage molecular analysis and phenotyping to create varieties with specific traits such as early maturation, premium fruit quality, large size, high productivity, and extended shelf life. Beyond berries, Planasa also produces asparagus, garlic, endive, and avocado varieties. The company complements its breeding activities with nursery services (operating 1,500+ hectares across 8 countries producing 1 billion+ plants annually) and technical support services using agricultural management software to help growers optimize crop performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Blue Maldiva: Blueberry variety developed by Planasa
• RedSayra
• Red Samantha
• Adelita
• Demoiselle
• Pink Hudson

Products and services

• Blueberry Varieties Proprietary blueberry plant varieties including Blue Maldiva, Blue Manila, Blue Malibú, Blue Marina, Blue Madeira, and Blue Masirah, bred for high yields, large fruit size, and resistance to pests and diseases. Sold to commercial blueberry growers globally.
• Blackberry Varieties Proprietary blackberry plant varieties including Black Sultana, the first blackberry variety developed by Planasa, for commercial blackberry growers.
• Strawberry Varieties Proprietary strawberry plant varieties including RedSayra (Plared 15121), Red Samantha (Plared 13120), Demoiselle, and historically Sabrosa/Candonga and Savana, sold to commercial strawberry growers. RedSayra leads varietal distribution in Spain's Huelva region at 13.5% of plants in production.
• Raspberry Varieties Proprietary raspberry plant varieties including Adelita and Pink Hudson, bred for commercial raspberry production. Pink Hudson received the Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute in January 2026.
• Endive Varieties Proprietary endive/witloof chicory plant varieties produced as part of Planasa's diverse product portfolio, with endive production dating to company founding.
• Asparagus Varieties Proprietary asparagus plant varieties developed and produced by Planasa, with early breeding activities beginning at the company's founding.
• Garlic Varieties Proprietary garlic plant varieties with good storage properties, offered as part of Planasa's product portfolio.
• Avocado Varieties Proprietary avocado plant varieties produced by Planasa as part of its diverse agricultural portfolio.
• R&D Services Plant breeding research services operating across 7 R&D centers globally, with over €25 million invested in the last 5 years, developing new varieties through pre-breeding, molecular analysis, and phenotyping.
• Nursery Services Large-scale nursery production across 8 countries with over 1,500 hectares, producing 1 billion+ plants annually in multiple formats (plugs, 1-liter containers, etc.) for strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, asparagus, and garlic.
• Technical Support Services Agronomic technical advisory services provided to growers using agricultural management software to capture data and translate it into actionable information for improving crop performance of Planasa varieties.

Quantifiable outcome

• RedSayra strawberry variety achieves 13.5% market share in Huelva, Spain, with 1.4% increase year-over-year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Illinois Foundation Seeds (IFSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026EW GROUP subsidiary Planasa acquired Illinois Foundation Seeds, a sweet corn breeder. This deal expands Planasa's portfolio in plant genetics, adding sweet corn to their existing berry, asparagus, garlic, and endive offerings.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hortifrut: A vertically integrated Chilean-headquartered berry producer and genetics owner with blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry programs — competes with Planasa across Latin America and increasingly EMEA.
• ABZ Seeds: Dutch specialist asparagus breeding company that directly overlaps with Planasa's asparagus crown/variety offering and competes in Mediterranean and Continental climate markets.
• Fall Creek Farm & Nursery: A specialist blueberry and cranberry nursery/breeding company serving global commercial growers — direct competitor to Planasa's blueberry genetics and nursery business.
• Driscoll's: The largest proprietary berry breeder and marketer in the world, with vertically integrated strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry genetics — directly competing with Planasa in berry variety IP and licensed plant supply.

Broad incumbents

• Naturipe Berry Growers: Major grower-marketer of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries — operates at scale with its own varietal selection, overlapping with Planasa's berry grower customer base across the Americas.
• Wish Farms: US strawberry and blueberry grower-shipper with proprietary genetics partnerships — competes with Planasa for strawberry market share and grower relationships in the US (e.g., Florida/Red Bluff).
• Rijk Zwaan: Family-owned Dutch vegetable seed company with a broad breeding program including protected and open-field crops — competes with Planasa in genetics, licensing, and grower services.
• Syngenta Group: One of the world's largest seed and crop protection companies; through its vegetable seeds division it competes in genetics and licensing for vegetable and specialty crops that overlap with Planasa's portfolio.
• Bayer Crop Science: Diversified crop science conglomerate whose vegetable seeds business (formerly Nunhems) competes in plant genetics, seedling supply, and licensing across categories that overlap with Planasa's berries and asparagus.

Emerging players

• Enza Zaden: Dutch independent vegetable seed breeder with strong greenhouse and open-field programs — competes with Planasa in protected-culture varieties and international breeding/distribution infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/planasa.group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planasa
• Instagraminstagram.com/planasa.group
• Xx.com/PlanasaSpain

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Planasa