Johnston, Iowa and Ghent, Belgium – September 21, 2026 -- Vylor, the seed and genetics company set to spin off from Corteva on October 1, 2026, has partnered with Belgium's Rainbow Crops to develop climate-resilient corn traits using AI-driven multiplex gene editing.
Rainbow Crops' Trait Foundry platform edits hundreds of genes simultaneously
The collaboration will deploy Rainbow Crops' AI-supported Trait Foundry™ technology, which combines multiplex genome editing, precision breeding and automated phenotyping to accelerate development of corn hybrids resistant to heat, drought and flooding. Mat Muller, who will lead Vylor Edge, Vylor's investment arm, said the platform allows scientists to make hundreds of gene edits simultaneously while validating performance through phenotyping facilities and field trials.
EU legislation passed June 17, 2026 opens door for gene-edited crop imports
The partnership follows the European Parliament's June 17, 2026 approval of legislation permitting gene-edited plants to be imported and cultivated across the European Union, removing a regulatory barrier that previously limited commercialization of such crops in the bloc.
Corteva Catalyst backed Rainbow Crops' €9.7 million seed round
Corteva, through its Corteva Catalyst investment platform, participated in Rainbow Crops' recently closed €9.7 million seed financing round. Upon Vylor's separation from Corteva, that investment stake will transfer into the Vylor Edge portfolio.
Giacomo Bastianelli, CEO and co-founder of Rainbow Crops, said the company's early corn work has proven the Trait Foundry platform can accelerate development of complex agronomic traits, including drought tolerance and plant vigor, which are controlled by multiple interacting genes. The companies expect the collaboration to yield complex agronomic traits that use inputs more efficiently and increase yield, supporting farmer profitability.