Seed Company Inari Named 2019 Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum

- Inari among exclusive group recognized for potential to "transform their industries."

- World Economic Forum selects Inari for its efforts to understand and solve complex problems in plant breeding that impact agriculture on a global scale.

- The company works with proprietary technology that includes proven plant breeding tools such as multiplex editing -- the reintroduction of genetic diversity through several genes in the same plant.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Inari, a company developing seeds that improve the economic and environmental realities of production agriculture, has been chosen as a 2019 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. Inari partners with independent seed producers, using its unique computational and genetic toolbox to introduce high performing plant varieties that address farming challenges.

World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers, chosen from hundreds of candidates worldwide, are early- to growth-stage companies involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations that are poised to have a significant impact on business and society.

"We're excited to welcome Inari to this year's innovative class of Technology Pioneers," said Fulvia Montresor, head of Technology Pioneers at the World Economic Forum. "Inari and its fellow pioneers are leaders in using novel technologies to transform their industries. We see great potential for these next generation companies to shape solutions to global challenges and improve society for years to come."

Inari has already achieved key milestones with two such efforts. Its technologies have been proven at field-level trials with higher-yielding gene-edited tomatoes, and in the lab, with new diversity introduced simultaneously through five natural genes in corn.

The achievement in corn is a particularly important breakthrough for plant scientists as Inari works to develop crops that offer superior performance while requiring fewer inputs, including chemical fertilizer and water.

"Multiplex editing is a significant advancement in the evolution of plant breeding," said Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., co-discoverer of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology and a member of Inari's Scientific Strategy Board. "It creates opportunities to address complex issues that have hindered scientists for decades."

This year's 56-member group of Technology Pioneers was selected by a committee of academics, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and corporate executives, based on criteria that included innovation, potential impact and leadership. Past recipients of the award include Airbnb, Google, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Palantir Technologies, Spotify, TransferWise, Twitter and Wikimedia.

"We are honored and excited to be acknowledged by the Forum," said Inari CEO Ponsi Trivisvavet. "The pioneer award is recognition that our technology is seen not only as a game-changer for our industry, but as a way to improve the lives of millions as we work to feed a growing population in the face of environmental concerns. On behalf of the entire Inari team, we look forward to contributing to the Forum's ongoing discussions about this challenge."

About Inari
Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2016, Inari partners with independent seed producers, using its unique computational and genetic toolbox to introduce high performing plant varieties that improve the economic and environmental realities of production agriculture. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional sites in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Ghent, Belgium, Inari has a growing team of over 100 employees. To learn more, visit Inari.com or follow us on Twitter @inari_ag.

About World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org).