Locations
Tel Aviv, Israel
Email Us
capsibreed@gmail.com
The university is home to over 100 research centers, 8 Nobel Laureates, 2 Fields Medal winners, and 1 Turing Award recipient, along with hundreds of internationally awarded researchers and scholars. HUJI leads in disciplines such as plant sciences, molecular biology, computer science, chemistry, agriculture, and medical research. Its faculty, particularly within the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, has driven innovation in sustainable agriculture, crop biotechnology, and food security for decades.
This is the academic environment that gave rise to CapsiBreed, through years of cutting-edge research in genetic engineering, plant regeneration, and precision genome editing. CapsiBreed’s technology, PepGEM™, originated from the lab of Prof. Alexander Vainstein, a world-renowned expert in plant metabolic engineering and genetic transformation. His lab’s groundbreaking work on pepper and petunia editing protocols paved the way for the commercial breakthroughs CapsiBreed is now bringing to market.
Through its dedicated technology transfer company, Yissum, The Hebrew University has registered more than 10,000 patents covering 3,000 inventions, and facilitated the launch of over 200 successful startups. These include:
Mobileye – Acquired by Intel for $15.3 billion; a global leader in autonomous vehicle systems
OrCam – Creator of AI-driven vision assistance technology for the visually impaired
BriefCam – Video analytics platform acquired by Canon
Pepticom – AI-based peptide drug discovery
CollPlant – Bioengineering human collagen from plants for regenerative medicine
CapsiBreed follows in these footsteps, representing the next generation of high-impact ag-biotech companies spun out of Hebrew University research. Like its predecessors, CapsiBreed combines deep scientific credibility with a clear commercial pathway, supported by world-class academic resources and a strong IP foundation.
The Hebrew University maintains active collaborations with leading institutions across Europe, North America, and Asia, and is frequently ranked as:
#1 university in Israel for academic performance and research output
Top 30 globally for biotechnology and agricultural sciences
A top recipient of European Research Council (ERC) grants outside the EU
Its alumni and faculty have gone on to lead ministries, tech unicorns, global NGOs, and Nobel-winning labs — making it one of the most globally influential academic institutions per capita.