Ghent, Belgium
4 March 2026
Rainbow Crops, a next-generation agtech company developing crop genetics with enhanced complex agronomic traits, has been awarded a $7 million grant from the Gates Foundation. The funding will support the application of Rainbow Crops’ Trait Foundry™ platform to advance new genetic approaches for improving crop performance under heat and drought stress to meet the needs of small holder farmers.
With the aim of progressing climate-resilient crops and improved germplasm delivery, the platform will develop innovative approaches for identifying and combining alleles to support germination under challenging climatic conditions.
Rainbow Crops’ Trait Foundry™ platform integrates multiplex genome editing, AI, breeding, and phenotyping to enable the systematic identification and combination of optimized genetic variants underlying complex agronomic traits. Unlike traditional breeding or single-gene approaches, the platform is designed to address traits controlled by multiple interacting genes, such as drought tolerance and plant vigor.
The research will initially focus on corn, sorghum, and rice - crops that are important to global food security, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The project places a strong emphasis on seedling performance under heat and drought stress, generating both scientific knowledge and trait-building blocks that can support future breeding efforts.
Rainbow Crops’ technology platform builds on years of research at VIB, a leading life sciences research institute, where the underlying scientific work was developed. As part of this collaboration, Rainbow Crops will work with the Laboratory of Professor Hilde Nelissen, from which Rainbow Crops was spun off, as well as with the VIB Transformation Facility & VIB Agro-Incubator.
Giacomo Bastianelli, Co-founder and CEO of Rainbow Crops, said, “This grant allows us to further strengthen our technology platform and contribute foundational advances that enable more climate-resilient crops, with relevance to regions most vulnerable to environmental change.”
The platform has already been validated end-to-end in corn, demonstrating the feasibility of Rainbow Crops’ multiplex genome editing and discovery approach across multiple traits. In addition, Rainbow Crops will collaborate with other industry partners, including coordination on scientific approaches and data sharing to accelerate collective progress.
Rainbow Crops is a next-generation agtech company developing climate-resilient, high-performing crop varieties through its proprietary Trait Foundry™ platform. By integrating multiplex genome editing, artificial intelligence, precision breeding, and automated phenotyping, Rainbow Crops enables the systematic engineering of complex agronomic traits. The company collaborates with seed and breeding partners to advance sustainable agriculture and global food security. Founded in 2025 as a spin-off from the VIB–UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, Rainbow Crops builds on years of publicly supported research and operates within VIB’s advanced research infrastructure.
Learn more at www.rainbowcrops.com
About VIB
VIB is a leading life sciences research institute based in Belgium, operating in close partnership with the Flemish universities and renowned for its work in medical sciences, plant biology, microbiology, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. VIB's mission is to push the boundaries of scientific discovery, transform it into disruptive biotech innovations and support the growth of the life sciences ecosystem in Flanders (Belgium). VIB drives the translation of research discoveries into innovative products and technologies for patients and society. It does so by launching new spin-offs, licensing intellectual property to companies, engaging in dynamic partnerships and fostering talent development. VIB has created >40 spin-offs in the healthcare and agrifood sectors, attracting €2 billion in equity investment and has partnered intensely with industry, generating over €460 million in income. VIB’s research has led to dozens of innovative products brought to market for medical, agriculture, and food applications, with many more in development. Nine of its spin-off companies have reached the clinical stage.
Learn more at www.vib.be
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