Rainbow Crops, a Ghent, Belgium-based developer of the Trait Foundry™ platform for engineering complex crop traits, has raised €9.7 million in seed funding led by LIFTT together with LIFTT EuroInvest. The platform combines AI-driven prediction, multiplex genome editing of 50-100 genes simultaneously, precision breeding, and automated phenotyping to develop climate-resilient varieties. The capital will accelerate platform deployment across corn, rice, and sorghum while expanding the team.
Multiplex Editing Draws Strategic Capital
The timing aligns with renewed investor interest in gene editing platforms. Inari Agriculture raised $144 million Series G in January 2025, while Pairwise secured $40 million Series C in September 2024. Rainbow Crops differentiates by targeting polygenic networks rather than single-gene edits and operating a closed-loop system that feeds phenotypic data back into AI models.
Complex Traits Resist Traditional Approaches
Most breeding programs and early CRISPR tools address single genes, yet critical traits like drought tolerance and yield stability arise from networks of interacting genes. Conventional methods require decades and carry high failure rates. Seed companies face mounting pressure from climate volatility and input cost fluctuations, creating demand for faster trait development.
Trait Foundry Integrates Full Pipeline
Rainbow Crops built Trait Foundry to connect AI target prediction, multiplex editing, and high-throughput phenotyping in one continuous cycle. The approach enables simultaneous modification of 50-100 genes, far beyond typical limits. Automated greenhouses screen up to 16,000 plants per run. This differs from competitors focused on fewer edits or AI prediction without integrated validation.
As CEO Giacomo Bastianelli noted:
"We're talking about not five genes at a time, but 50-100."
Strategic Investors Signal Platform Validation
LIFTT led the round with participation from Agri Investment Fund, PINC (Paulig's venture arm), Corteva Catalyst, Maia Ventures, Qbic, and VIB. Corteva's involvement stands out as a top global seed company placing a strategic bet. The round followed a $7 million Gates Foundation grant awarded three months earlier for work targeting smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Genome Editing Market Expands Rapidly
The genome editing market reached approximately $13.5 billion in 2026, with agricultural CRISPR segments valued near $3.2 billion. Broader plant breeding markets sit around $14.5 billion. Growth rates range from 12.8% to 17.3% CAGR across segments through 2033-2035, driven by regulatory shifts such as the EU's proposed NGT framework and urgent demand for climate-resilient crops.
Competitors include Tropic Biosciences, which raised $105 million Series C in March 2026, and Avalo, which closed an $11 million Series A in March 2025. Rainbow Crops positions itself as a platform partner to existing seed companies rather than a direct competitor.
Leadership and Next Steps
The company expects to announce a corn collaboration with a seed company soon. Funding will also support team expansion in scientific and technical roles following recent hires including Head of R&D Veerle De Schepper.