--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260305-rainbow-crops-receives-7-million-gates-foundation-grant-for-climate-resilient-crop-research/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # Rainbow Crops receives $7 million Gates Foundation grant for climate-resilient crop research Publication Date: 2026-03-05T19:00:52-05:00 Last Updated: 2026-03-05T03:43:26-05:00 Author: Elena Shalashnik (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/shea2707/) Categories: [AgTech & Research](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/agtech-and-research/), [Corporate](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/corporate/) ![Rainbow Crops receives $7 million Gates Foundation grant for climate-resilient crop research](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1772615650290-2.jpeg) Project will focus on improving early crop performance under heat and drought stress. Rainbow Crops has received a $7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support research into genetic approaches aimed at improving crop performance under heat and drought conditions. The funding will support development of the company’s Trait Foundry platform and research into crop traits intended to help smallholder farmers adapt to harsher growing conditions. The project will initially focus on improving seedling performance under environmental stress, a stage when high temperatures and limited water can significantly reduce crop establishment. The research will begin with corn, sorghum and rice, crops widely grown in regions vulnerable to climate stress, including parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The work is expected to generate genetic trait components and scientific data that could support future breeding programs. Founded in 2025 as a spin-off from the VIB–UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology, Rainbow Crops develops crop genetics targeting complex agronomic traits linked to environmental stress. The company is led by co-founder and chief executive Giacomo Bastianelli. ADVERTISEMENT The Trait Foundry platform combines genome editing, computational analysis, plant breeding and high-throughput phenotyping to identify and combine genetic variants associated with traits such as drought tolerance, plant vigor and heat resilience. According to the company, the technology has already been tested in corn. This grant will allows to further strengthen the technology platform and contribute advances that support the development of more climate-resilient crops. The research builds on scientific work developed at VIB. Rainbow Crops plans to collaborate with the laboratory of plant scientist Hilde Nelissen, as well as the institute’s transformation facility and agro-incubator.   Tags: [Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/bill-melinda-gates-foundation/), [Bill Gates](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/bill-gates/), [climate resilient](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/climate-resilient/), [crop genetics](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/crop-genetics/), [environmental stress](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/environmental-stress/), [grant](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/grant/), [investment](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/investment/), [plant breeding](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/plant-breeding/), [Rainbow Crops](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/rainbow-crops/), [VIB](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/vib/) --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. Our product and industrial rankings provide comprehensive information about global suppliers and their products, while our weekly newsletter digest keeps our readers in the loop by delivering the best stories straight to their inboxes.