Rainbow Crops
Universiteit Gent

Rainbow Crops

Biotech
Biotech
Biotech
Biotech

Rainbow Crops combines multiplex genome editing and precision breeding to develop climate-resilient crop varieties

Mission

Rainbow Crops harnesses genome editing, AI, and automation to develop crops with enhanced complex traits - such as climate resilience, input efficiency, and nutritional quality. By partnering with seed companies and nonprofits, we ensure these innovations deliver real-world impact for farmers, consumers, and the planet.

Vision

Rainbow Crops envisions a world where agriculture is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. By unlocking the full genetic potential of plants, we aim to drive global food security, environmental health, and equitable access to advanced crop genetics.

Technology

Rainbow Crops’ proprietary platform, Trait Foundry™, is an integrated technology stack designed to engineer complex agronomic traits that have historically been difficult to improve. It combines:

Continuously trained AI models for rational trait prediction
Multiplex genome editing for parallel, targeted modifications
Precision breeding for optimized variety development
Automated phenotyping to generate rich performance data

Trait Foundry™ enables the simultaneous enhancement of multiple traits by generating and screening rationally designed genetic diversity. It has already demonstrated scalability and performance through proof-of-concept work and is adaptable across a wide range of crops.

Company’s Origins

The Trait Foundry™ platform is based on foundational research conducted at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, led by Prof. Dirk Inzé and Prof. Hilde Nelissen. This work was supported by a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant, awarded to Prof. Inzé under the EU’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program.

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Tom Smets

Tom Smets

Investment Analyst Qbic II & III

This company is aligned with the following SDGs

Zero hunger
Zero hunger
Climate action
Climate action
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