In 2025, the Norwich-based agbiotech firm introduced the first new commercial banana varieties in over seven decades. The challenge now is to expand production to meet growing demand.
The world’s most popular fruit faces a grave threat. Panama Disease Tropical Race 4, a soil- and water-borne fungal pathogen with no known cure, has been identified in over 20 countries.
This disease jeopardizes the global Cavendish banana, a variety that constitutes more than 90% of the export market and supports a $25 billion industry vital to 400 million people.
The Cavendish overcame a similar crisis in the 1950s by replacing its predecessor, but currently, no such alternative exists.
In response to this, the Norwich-based gene-editing company Tropic has secured $105 million (approximately €91 million) in an oversubscribed Series C funding round. This round was co-led by Forbion through its Bioeconomy Fund and Corteva via its Corteva Catalyst investment platform.
Other major contributors include Just Climate and IQ Capital, with new investors like ABN Amro and Invest International joining. Long-time supporters Temasek, Five Seasons Ventures, Aliment Capital, Sucden Ventures, Genoa Ventures, and Polaris Partners also participated.
Tropic was established in late 2016 at the Norwich Research Park by Gilad Gershon, an agritech investor and former Israeli Navy commander, and Dr. Eyal Maori, a virologist and RNA biologist. Maori’s earlier research laid the groundwork for Beeologics, a genetics startup later bought by Monsanto.
They developed a platform utilizing CRISPR and Tropic’s proprietary technology, Gene Editing Induced Gene Silencing (GEiGS), enabling precise crop modifications without foreign DNA introduction.
In 2025, Tropic achieved a crucial milestone by launching two new banana varieties, the first in over 75 years. One is a non-browning banana, created by disabling the gene for polyphenol oxidase, responsible for browning.
The other is a shelf-life-extending variety that extends the green life by 12 days, targeting the genes for ethylene production, the hormone that triggers ripening. Tropic claims this reduces transportation waste by up to 50%. TIME Magazine named the non-browning variety as one of the Best Inventions of 2025.
Gershon reports that demand is already exceeding production capabilities.
“2025 proved our technology’s immediacy. With two banana varieties already in the market and demand outpacing supply, this investment allows us to scale production globally and explore new crops faster than before.”
The bananas have regulatory approvals in the Philippines, Colombia, Honduras, the US, and Canada. Consumer launches in the US and Canada are set for 2026. Tropic describes the technology as non-GMO since it makes changes within the banana’s existing DNA.
The pressing project is tackling TR4. Tropic is using its GEiGS technology to direct the banana’s RNA machinery