Who We Are
We are a dedicated team that includes a gardener, farmer, seed breeder, and more. We have a vision for a future founded on collaboration, shared data, and transparency. We believe that applying these tenants to agriculture will build a stronger market and more resilient agricultural ecosystem, benefiting people and the environment in the present, and for generations to come.
History
The seed for SeedLinked was planted in 2012, and the original vision remains largely unchanged from that time – to create an open innovation platform that connects people and crowd-sourced seed performance data to make breeding and selecting the right seeds for your environment easier for all in the seed supply chain – gardeners, farmers, seed companies, breeders, and eaters.
To make this vision a reality, SeedLinked has three central pillars – software to run collaborative variety trials across a large geography; the Community Feed where all people in the seed system can have discussions, learn from each other, and build community; and the Seed Marketplace where growers can find the best varieties for their environment based on access to performance reviews.
The first iteration of the SeedLinked platform was launched in 2018 with the support of many core partners like Seed Savers Exchange and UW-Madison Seed to Kitchen Collaborative. The original software focused mainly on simplifying data collection, communication, and computation for collaborative variety trials.
In 2021, we launched the Seed Search and Community Feed and updated collaborative variety trial software.
In 2022, we launched our Seed Marketplace with the added function to purchase seeds from a dozen different seed companies on one platform. In the fall of 2022, we launched the second iteration of our Community Feed with new functions to follow other growers and varieties.
Leadership Team
Nicolas Enjalbert, PhD
Co-Founder & CEO
Nicolas Enjalbert brings a broad vision and passion for what is possible in the seed industry founded on his years of private sector plant breeding in multinational seed companies in Europe and the United States. His expertise in data architecture, crop modeling, fundamental breeding techniques and participatory breeding strategies coupled with management and plant breeding program development find full expression in his continuing work and development of SeedLinked.
Hans Boot
CTO
Hans Boot is a senior IT engineer, mainly working in Enterprise IT Architecture and CTO roles. He has a background in IT systems for agriculture, and has worked in both large consulting firms as well as startups (some as founder or co-founder) in mainly international settings. His desire of looking at the big picture while knowing the details is especially useful when working with leading edge technologies and diverse teams.
Ashok Kumar
Senior Software Engineer
Senior full-stack developer with deep agricultural roots, I bring IT expertise combined with a passion for farming. Proudly leading SeedLinked’s software development, I manage projects, shape strategies, and architect the platform, focusing on integrating innovative solutions like AI to enhance efficiency and value. With a forward-thinking mindset, I am constantly excited to learn and innovate at the intersection of software and ag-tech. I live in Southern India, where my family owns and manages a farm.
Remi Bethouart
Co-Founder & COO
Remi Bethouart served as SeedLinked’s Chief Operating Officer from September 2022 until his passing in late summer 2024. A skilled French engineer with a background in computer science, Remi excelled in IT consulting, where he developed data strategies, governance systems, and platforms for diverse industries. At SeedLinked, his leadership was vital. He built the product development framework, sales pipeline, and customer service structure, while shaping key business and fundraising strategies. His vision and expertise strengthened our company’s foundation, and the confidence we have in our direction today is a testament to his lasting impact.
Erik Kastman
Co-Founder & Data Science Lead
Informatics analyst with 10+ years’ experience building, running and interpreting cognitive neuroscience and microbial ecology experiments with both frequentist and Bayesian statistical approaches using modern development techniques.
Advisors
Renée Vassilos
Renée Vassilos is The Nature Conservancy’s Agriculture Innovation Director. She manages TNC’s investments in early-stage agriculture technology companies that will scale regenerative agriculture production practices. Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy, Renée spent nearly a decade at John Deere, including several years based in Beijing, where she worked across corporate functions and geographies to build global market product strategies, design and manufacture equipment, and marketing and sales. Post-Deere, Renée led her consulting firm, Banyan Innovation Group, advising growth-stage agriculture technology start-ups and investors. Renée has a B.S. and M.S. in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois,
Julie Dawson, PhD
Julie Dawson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with extensive experience in participatory and organic plant breeding. She leads the Seed to Kitchen Collaborative in Wisconsin, which tests vegetable varieties suited to organic and diversified agricultural systems for superior flavor, market characteristics, and agronomic performance. Her research includes developing better methodologies for participatory plant breeding, vegetable variety trialing, flavor evaluation and using genetic resources in plant breeding.
Jared Zystro, PhD
Jared Zystro is Organic Seed Alliance’s Research and Education Assistant Director. He has worked in the organic seed industry for over 15 years, managing seed production at two farms and conducting research and education projects with OSA. He currently manages OSA’s regional development in California, conducts participatory breeding projects and variety trials, and teaches farmers about seed production and plant breeding at workshops, conferences, and field days.
Collaborators
Media Page
Are you a member of the media and considering doing a story about SeedLinked? Check out our Media Page to get in touch and access more information about our business.