KWS is one of the world's leading plant breeding companies, with origins dating to 1856 and headquarters in Einbeck, Germany. The company has remained independently family-owned for over 170 years whilst expanding operations to more than 70 countries. With approximately 5,102 employees, KWS operates through four main business units managing the complete seed value chain: variety development, propagation, production, and distribution.
The company breeds and produces high-yield seeds across multiple crop categories, including sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape, sunflowers, catch crops, and organic varieties. KWS invests significantly in research and development, employing advanced breeding techniques and modern technologies such as genome editing to improve genetic potential. This technical foundation spans plant breeding, genetics, variety development, and propagation systems.
Beyond physical seed products, KWS operates myKWS, a digital services platform designed to help farmers optimise yields from sowing through harvest. The company combines traditional agricultural expertise with digital agriculture tools and agronomy support capabilities, serving a global farmer base with integrated solutions for crop production.
