Key Takeaways
- Rainbow Crops receives investment from PINC, the venture arm of Paulig, marking PINC’s third investment in 2025.
- The company’s Trait Foundry™ platform integrates AI, genome editing, precision breeding, and automated phenotyping.
- Rainbow Crops aims to improve key agronomic traits such as drought tolerance, heat resilience, and input efficiency.
- Early proof-of-concept trials in corn demonstrate scalability across crop species.
- The startup is supported by investors including PINC, Agri Investment Fund, and Qbic.
Rainbow Crops Gains Backing from PINC to Scale Trait Foundry™ Platform
Rainbow Crops, an agtech spin-off from Belgium’s VIB research institute, has received an investment from PINC, the venture capital arm of food company Paulig. The investment supports Rainbow Crops’ mission to develop climate-resilient, high-performing crops using a proprietary AI-powered platform called Trait Foundry™.
This marks PINC’s third investment in 2025 and aligns with Paulig’s goal of supporting a more sustainable global food system.
AI and Genome Editing Powering Multi-Trait Crop Development
The Trait Foundry™ platform enables the simultaneous improvement of multiple plant traits by integrating:
- Multiplex genome editing
- Precision breeding
- Automated plant analysis
- AI-driven trait discovery and optimization
The technology allows researchers to design and test targeted genetic variations at scale, with early trials in corn showing promising real-world applicability.
Giacomo Bastianelli, a serial biotech entrepreneur, has been appointed Co-founder and CEO of Rainbow Crops. He noted: “When I first met with the VIB scientists behind the technology, I was impressed by the results, which revealed a transformative approach to engineering complex traits. We’re forging partnerships with seed and breeding companies to co-develop next-generation crop genetics that tackle the challenges of tomorrow’s agri-food systems.”
Rainbow Crops’ Strategic Relevance to Paulig and PINC
PINC’s investment reflects growing industry interest in climate-adaptive technologies and aligns with Paulig’s use of corn in brands such as Santa Maria, Poco Loco, and Zanuy.
Marika King, Director of PINC, stated: “We are excited about the broad potential of the platform, and also that the first POC is in corn, which is one of Paulig’s top three crops. Rainbow Crops is built on a solid scientific foundation and has amazing collaborations in the making.”
The company’s targeted traits—drought tolerance, heat resilience, and input efficiency—are increasingly critical under climate change conditions and have historically been challenging to optimize through conventional breeding techniques.
Backed by Early-Stage Investors and Research Networks
In addition to PINC, Rainbow Crops is supported by the Agri Investment Fund (AIF) and Qbic, forming a strong early-stage syndicate. The company continues to operate closely with VIB, one of Europe’s leading life sciences research institutes.
Designed to be species-agnostic, the Trait Foundry™ platform offers a scalable path for crop innovation across row crops and specialty crops, with potential to address yield stability and sustainability across global agricultural systems.
