Leuven, 16 June 2026
Rainbow Crops, an agtech company developing improved crop varieties, has attracted strong investor support to further advance its technology platform and expand its application across multiple crops. The financing round, led by LIFTT and LIFTT EuroInvest, includes participation from Agri Investment Fund (AIF), PINC and VIB, alongside new investors Corteva, through its Corteva Catalyst™ investment platform and Maia Ventures, and follows earlier backing from the Gates Foundation.
Faster and targeted development of improved crop varieties
Developing improved crop varieties today often takes many years and remains particularly difficult when multiple traits need to be combined. Rainbow Crops aims to accelerate this process through its proprietary Trait Foundry™ platform. The platform integrates artificial intelligence, multiplex genome editing, precision breeding, and automated phenotyping to systematically identify, generate, and evaluate combinations of genetic variants underlying complex agronomic traits such as yield and stress resilience.
By combining multiplex genome editing with breeding, the platform creates populations of plants with purposefully designed genetic diversity, enabling higher-performing varieties to be selected faster compared to traditional breeding approaches. Early field validation in corn supports the relevance of this approach.
“This investment allows us to accelerate the transition from early validation to systematic deployment of our platform,” said Giacomo Bastianelli, CEO and Co-Founder of Rainbow Crops. “Our goal is to accelerate the development of complex traits through AI-driven, multiplex genome engineering, and make these globally accessible to partners.”
Focus on practical impact in the field
Farmers and breeders are increasingly faced with increasingly variable weather conditions, rising input costs and the need for more stable yields. Rainbow Crops focuses on crop varieties that perform more reliably under stress conditions such as drought, contributing to more stable yields and improved risk management at the farm level. The company works with seed companies and breeding partners to ensure that these improvements are translated into practical solutions for farmers.
“This investment fits within our role of supporting innovations that deliver tangible value in the field”, added Barbara Berckmans, Investment Manager at AIF. “Faster development of improved crop varieties is key to helping farmers adapt to changing conditions while maintaining productivity and sustainability over the long term.”
About AIF
Agri Investment Fund BV (“AIF”) is the private equity and venture capital fund of the group Boerenbond (Farmers’ Union) and wishes through its investments to contribute directly or indirectly to a stronger and more sustainable agriculture and horticulture in Flanders and German speaking Belgium. Its investments have a focus within the Ag-Tech and Agro-Food domains aiming at stimulating innovation and as such helping to build a stronger agriculture of the future, allowing farmers and horticulturists to provide high-quality products at honest prices. More information can be found on www.aifund.be .
About Rainbow Crops
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 simultaneous enhancement of multiple complex agronomic traits such as yield, input efficiency, and stress resilience. Founded in 2025 as a spin-off from the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, Rainbow Crops builds on research supported by an ERC Advanced Grant and benefits from strategic infrastructure at VIB, including the VIB Agro- Incubator. The company collaborates with seed and breeding partners to co-develop advanced plant genetics tailored for sustainable agriculture and global food security. Learn more at https://www.rainbowcrops.com .
For further information, please contact:
AIF
Patrik Haesen, CEO
T: +32 (0)16 28 62 54 | E: pers@aifund.be
Rainbow Crops
Giacomo Bastianelli, CEO
T: +39 388 49 10 858 | E: giacomo@rainbowcrops.com
