Blab Tech
Belgian AgTech Startup Rainbow Crops Raises 9.7 Million Seed Round to Accelerate AI-Driven Gene Editing
On 16 June 2026, Belgian ag‑tech firm Rainbow Crops closed a €9.7 million seed‑stage financing round, led by LIFTT EuroInvest—a joint venture of the European Investment Bank and Italian private‑equity firm LIFTT. The round also saw participation from Agri Investment Fund (AIF), Paulig’s venture arm PINC, the VIB research institute, and new backers Maia Ventures and Corteva Catalyst.
Rainbow Crops spun out of the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in 2025. CEO Giacomo Bastianelli says the company’s core product, Trait Foundry™, blends artificial intelligence, multiplex genome editing, and high‑throughput phenotyping into a single pipeline. The system first trains AI models to predict which combinations of genes influence complex traits such as drought tolerance or yield. It then delivers those combinations into plants with a multiplex editing tool that can target 50–100 genes in one transformation. Finally, a phenotyping line screens up to 16,000 plants per run and feeds performance data back into the AI.
The platform tackles polygenic traits that have long eluded conventional breeding. Bastianelli explains that the AI builds a “massive graph” linking genes to one another and to observable traits, allowing the system to identify edits that are likely to boost performance. Rather than simply knocking out genes, the approach targets regulatory elements, a strategy that can keep the number of edits per line low enough to satisfy emerging EU regulations.
Rainbow Crops has validated its workflow in greenhouse trials and a pilot field trial in corn aimed at increasing biomass and yield. Results are still under analysis. The company also works on sorghum and rice projects funded by a $7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports research on heat and drought tolerance for small‑holder farmers.
The firm operates out of VIB’s Ghent facilities, which house a crop‑transformation core that delivers gene‑editing tools into plant cells and an automated phenotyping line that can screen 16,000 plants per run. Its business model centers on licensing the output of Trait Foundry™ to seed and breeding companies. Rainbow Crops earns royalties from commercialized varieties and also charges upfront R&D fees and milestone payments.
Bastianelli said the company is poised to announce a collaboration with a seed firm soon and is exploring partnerships in other crops. Partners would bring elite germplasm, field‑trial capabilities and regulatory expertise.
Regulatory considerations vary by jurisdiction. Under the EU’s proposed framework for new genomic techniques (NGT), plants with up to 20 specified edits may qualify for the lighter NGT‑1 category, while those with more complex modifications remain subject to existing GMO rules. Rainbow Crops believes its multiplex approach can produce plants with fewer edits per line, keeping it within the lighter category.
The seed‑round capital will support scaling of the platform, expansion of phenotyping capacity, and acceleration of field‑testing programs. It will also strengthen the company’s regulatory strategy and enable pursuit of additional grants.
As of the announcement, Rainbow Crops remains in early‑stage development, with no commercial varieties yet on the market. The next milestones include completing the analysis of its corn field trial, finalizing the Gates Foundation project, and securing a seed‑company partnership.
The funding round and the Gates Foundation grant underscore growing investor interest in AI‑enabled crop‑breeding solutions that address climate resilience and yield improvement. Rainbow Crops’ approach represents a convergence of data science, genome editing and precision breeding that could accelerate the development of new crop varieties.
The company’s current focus is on delivering validated, high‑performance plant lines for partner companies while navigating the regulatory landscape for gene‑edited crops. The next public update is expected when a seed‑company collaboration is announced or when the corn field‑trial results are published.
Rainbow Crops spun out of the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in 2025. CEO Giacomo Bastianelli says the company’s core product, Trait Foundry™, blends artificial intelligence, multiplex genome editing, and high‑throughput phenotyping into a single pipeline. The system first trains AI models to predict which combinations of genes influence complex traits such as drought tolerance or yield. It then delivers those combinations into plants with a multiplex editing tool that can target 50–100 genes in one transformation. Finally, a phenotyping line screens up to 16,000 plants per run and feeds performance data back into the AI.
The platform tackles polygenic traits that have long eluded conventional breeding. Bastianelli explains that the AI builds a “massive graph” linking genes to one another and to observable traits, allowing the system to identify edits that are likely to boost performance. Rather than simply knocking out genes, the approach targets regulatory elements, a strategy that can keep the number of edits per line low enough to satisfy emerging EU regulations.
Rainbow Crops has validated its workflow in greenhouse trials and a pilot field trial in corn aimed at increasing biomass and yield. Results are still under analysis. The company also works on sorghum and rice projects funded by a $7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports research on heat and drought tolerance for small‑holder farmers.
The firm operates out of VIB’s Ghent facilities, which house a crop‑transformation core that delivers gene‑editing tools into plant cells and an automated phenotyping line that can screen 16,000 plants per run. Its business model centers on licensing the output of Trait Foundry™ to seed and breeding companies. Rainbow Crops earns royalties from commercialized varieties and also charges upfront R&D fees and milestone payments.
Bastianelli said the company is poised to announce a collaboration with a seed firm soon and is exploring partnerships in other crops. Partners would bring elite germplasm, field‑trial capabilities and regulatory expertise.
Regulatory considerations vary by jurisdiction. Under the EU’s proposed framework for new genomic techniques (NGT), plants with up to 20 specified edits may qualify for the lighter NGT‑1 category, while those with more complex modifications remain subject to existing GMO rules. Rainbow Crops believes its multiplex approach can produce plants with fewer edits per line, keeping it within the lighter category.
The seed‑round capital will support scaling of the platform, expansion of phenotyping capacity, and acceleration of field‑testing programs. It will also strengthen the company’s regulatory strategy and enable pursuit of additional grants.
As of the announcement, Rainbow Crops remains in early‑stage development, with no commercial varieties yet on the market. The next milestones include completing the analysis of its corn field trial, finalizing the Gates Foundation project, and securing a seed‑company partnership.
The funding round and the Gates Foundation grant underscore growing investor interest in AI‑enabled crop‑breeding solutions that address climate resilience and yield improvement. Rainbow Crops’ approach represents a convergence of data science, genome editing and precision breeding that could accelerate the development of new crop varieties.
The company’s current focus is on delivering validated, high‑performance plant lines for partner companies while navigating the regulatory landscape for gene‑edited crops. The next public update is expected when a seed‑company collaboration is announced or when the corn field‑trial results are published.
