Infira is an Argentinian AgriBiotech company focused on plant genetics and technologies that can extend the life cycle of commercial crops. Through scientific research and proprietary genetic techniques, the company restores naturally occurring traits lost through crop domestication, with perennial growth as a primary focus.

Infira’s technology selectively expresses plant genes associated with post-harvest regrowth, creating perennial-like varieties that can produce multiple harvests over time. Research currently spans rice, alfalfa, soybean, sugarcane and corn, with rice having progressed from laboratory studies through greenhouse work and into field trials.

Recovering Traits from Plant Evolution

Infira’s research begins with the study of how plants evolved and adapted over millions of years. The company identifies genes associated with traits that allowed plants to survive, regenerate and reproduce over longer periods. Perenniality is a major focus because perennial plants can live for more than two years and produce across multiple growing cycles.

Modern agriculture relies heavily on annual crops that complete their life cycle within a single growing season. Infira is investigating whether genetic traits associated with longer plant life can be restored in commercial crops. The objective is to create varieties capable of regrowth after harvest while retaining characteristics needed for agricultural production.

Restoring Perennial Growth

Infira uses a proprietary method to selectively express previously identified plant genes linked to post-harvest regrowth. The technology works with genetic traits found in plant biology and seeks to reactivate characteristics that were lost through domestication. The resulting varieties are intended to regenerate after harvest and produce again during subsequent cycles.

Rice has emerged as the company’s most advanced crop program. Greenhouse trials produced plants capable of surviving and producing through more than one cycle, and the technology has since moved into field trials. Infira is also conducting laboratory and greenhouse research involving alfalfa, soybean, sugarcane, and corn as it examines the application of the technology across additional commercial crops.

From Laboratory Research to the Field

Infira has expanded its intellectual property portfolio alongside its scientific work. The company secured an exclusive license for its technology, filed a patent application covering 33 countries, and obtained trademark registrations in Argentina, the European Union, and the United States. A patent has also been granted in the Philippines.

Investment has provided additional resources for laboratory work and commercialization. Infira closed its first investment round with more than $500,000 and later raised more than $2 million in a second round. The Argentine Senate also declared the company’s innovation a Technology of National Interest, while Infira inaugurated a gene-editing laboratory and launched laboratory services for external clients.

Expanding the Crop Portfolio

Infira is building a wider platform around its plant genetics technology. The company has begun work on a software prototype using machine learning and artificial intelligence, while its research pipeline covers several crops with different agricultural applications. The work is intended to connect biological research with tools that can eventually be used by commercial customers.

The company’s technology could reduce the need to replant crops after every harvest while preserving deeper root systems associated with perennial plants. Fewer planting cycles could reduce operational costs and soil disturbance, while longer-lived crops could provide additional harvests from a single planting. In August 2026, Infira and CEO and co-founder Renata Reinheimer received recognition at the WIPO Global Awards, with Reinheimer named Best Woman Entrepreneur 2026 and Infira winning the Agriculture and Food category.

ABOUT | RENATA REINHEIMER

Renata Reinheimer, co-founder, is the CEO of Infira, an Argentinian AgriBiotech company focused on plant genetics and perennial crops. She is a researcher at CONICET’s Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral and a professor at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. Her scientific work has focused on plant biology and the genetic mechanisms associated with plant longevity and regrowth.

Reinheimer founded Infira in Santa Fe in 2020 with Cecilia Arolfo and Victoria Nagel, bringing scientific research into a commercial biotechnology venture. Her work at Infira centers on restoring genetic traits associated with perennial growth, with rice serving as the company’s most advanced crop program. In 2026, she was named Best Woman Entrepreneur by the World Intellectual Property Organization, while Infira received the Agriculture and Food award among more than 1,300 applications from 126 countries.