UK start - up Tropic Biosciences has raised $ 10 million in an oversubscribed series A funding round led by Pontifax AgTech and Five Seasons Ventures . In addition , Five Seasons ' Peter Belldegrun and Niccolo Manzoni joined the company 's board . Tropic is developing disease - resistant bananas and coffee with little or no caffeine levels using gene - therapy technology , including CRISPR . The company aims to grow young plants and licence its proprietary genetics to other growers . Tropic Biosciences will focus on field trials for the next year or two, after which it will move toward scaling up propagation. The global combined market for banana and coffee is valued at $ 50bn .
UK start - up Tropic Biosciences has raised $ 10 million in an oversubscribed series A funding round led by Pontifax AgTech and Five Seasons Ventures . In addition , Five Seasons ' Peter Belldegrun and Niccolo Manzoni joined the company 's board . Tropic is developing disease - resistant bananas and coffee with little or no caffeine levels using gene - therapy technology , including CRISPR . The company aims to grow young plants and licence its proprietary genetics to other growers . The global combined market for banana and coffee is valued at $ 50bn .