Rainbow Crops Launches Agtech Spin-Off to Revolutionize Crop Genetics
Deal News | Apr 29, 2025 | Qbic Venture Partners
VIB has launched a new spin-off company, Rainbow Crops, focused on developing climate-resilient crop varieties through an AI-powered platform for genome editing and precision breeding. Located in Ghent, Belgium, Rainbow Crops has obtained pre-seed funding from a consortium of investors including Qbic Venture Partners, Agri Investment Fund, and PINC. The company aims to address challenges in agriculture by enhancing key agronomic traits such as drought tolerance and input efficiency, which are critical due to climate change impact. Led by CEO Giacomo Bastianelli, Rainbow Crops is partnering with seed and breeding companies to develop next-generation crop genetics, leveraging technology originally developed under an ERC grant. Backed by significant research infrastructure and investment, the firm exemplifies VIB's initiative to foster the Agtech innovation ecosystem in Europe.
Sectors
- Agtech
- Venture Capital
Geography
- Belgium – The headquarters of Rainbow Crops and the VIB research institute are located in Ghent, Belgium, where the spin-off is being launched.
Industry
- Agtech – The article discusses the launch of Rainbow Crops, a company in the agricultural technology industry aiming to develop climate-resilient crops using advanced genomic and AI tools.
- Venture Capital – Qbic Venture Partners and other investors provide pre-seed funding which is crucial in the development and scaling of innovative startups like Rainbow Crops.
Financials
- Pre-seed funding – Qbic Venture Partners and other investors provided pre-seed funding to support Rainbow Crops' development and commercialization activities.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Crops | Target Company | Company | A spin-off company focusing on developing climate-resilient crop varieties through advanced agrigenomic technologies. |
| VIB | Supporting and Funding Organization | Company | A leading life sciences research institute in Belgium, responsible for launching Rainbow Crops. |
| Qbic Venture Partners | Investor | Company | Provides pre-seed funding to Rainbow Crops as part of a syndicate of early-stage investors. |
| Agri Investment Fund (AIF) | Investor | Company | A private equity and venture capital fund focusing on strengthening sustainable agriculture in Flanders and German-speaking Belgium. |
| PINC | Investor | Company | Venture capital arm of Paulig Group investing in early-stage startups in the food and Agtech sectors. |
| Giacomo Bastianelli | CEO and Co-Founder | Person | Serial biotech entrepreneur leading Rainbow Crops. |
| Prof. Hilde Nelissen | Scientific Advisor | Person | Founding scientist at Rainbow Crops from VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology. |