Dr. Kinneret Shefer is the CEO and co-founder of GeneNeer, a Canadian-Israeli agtech company developing next-generation gene editing technologies for crop improvement. The headquarters launched in Manitoba in early 2026. Shefer has a background in molecular biotechnology and non-coding RNA biology, and earned a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before being awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral research at the RNA Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Motivated by the opportunity to transform scientific discoveries into solutions that create real-world impact, Shefer has led the development of several patented technologies, and has secured millions of dollars through investments, grants and strategic partnerships. In this month’s This is Agriculture feature, Shefer shares how she came to agriculture through her background in science, why GeneNeer decided to headquarter its company in Manitoba, and where she believes the future of agriculture is headed.
Describe your job or product.
As CEO of GeneNeer, I lead the company’s strategy, fundraising, partnerships, intellectual property development, and commercialization activities. I also work closely with our scientific team to ensure that our technologies address important challenges facing agriculture today and in the future.
How did you start your career in agriculture?
My path into agriculture came through biotechnology rather than farming. Throughout my scientific career, I was fascinated by the power of biology to solve real-world problems. Agriculture stood out because innovations in this field can improve food production, sustainability, and grower profitability while benefiting millions of people around the world.
How does digital agriculture or agtech play a role in your current job?
GeneNeer is a tech company. We develop technologies that are very unique, that are IP protected. We call it the next generation of gene editing. Gene editing as it is today, other than GeneNeer’s, has an incremental value and is limited in its ability to enhance crop performance for several reasons. GeneNeer has basically overcome those limitations – it’s a more advanced perspective on manipulating a level of gene expression. At first we were just a tech company, but technology also needs to show what it can do, and it’s not enough just to be a tech company. So we analyzed the market, thinking about where our strength is, where we can really contribute and make a difference, where there are challenges, and we decided to focus on potatoes, which is one of the biggest markets in North America.
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