Applications open for Yield Lab Ireland accelerator program

Yield Lab Europe, the region's leading AgTech accelerator programme, has opened for applications from start-up companies for its 2019 programme. Yield Lab will support up to five companies with an investment of €100,000 and an intensive mentoring and training programme to help them turn their ideas into successful internationally scalable businesses.

This is the third year of the European programme for the Yield Lab, which to date has invested in eight companies in Ireland, the UK and France.The programme looks to offer early stage venture capital to AgTech start-ups, particularly those with a focus on addressing issues of environmental sustainability and food security.

Last month Yield Lab announced it had raised €21m for a new European venture capital fund to support the Accelerator Fund, and a larger follow-on fund to lead Series A investment rounds in the Accelerator companies as they grow.

Yield Lab also today announces the appointment of Roberto Vitón as a Venture Partner in Yield Lab Europe. Vitón is a former McKinsey consultant and founder of food and agricultural investment specialist Valoral Advisors. He will head up Yield Lab's new office in Luxembourg and help expand the number of start-ups the fund invests in in Continental Europe.

Nicky Deasy, Managing Partner of Yield Lab Europe said:

"Yield Lab Europe is going from strength to strength as we launch the third year of our Accelerator programme and look to invest in companies that have exciting new innovations to address the growing problems around environmental sustainability and food security that the world faces. Our formula of offering both our own equity capital, alongside mentoring and access to market and the wider venture capital industry, is in high demand from AgTech start-ups across Europe, and we anticipate a lot of interest in this year's programme."

Dr Fiona Edwards Murphy, Chief Executive of ApisProtect, one of the programme's alumni said:

"The experience of working with the Yield Lab has been extremely helpful. This investment has enabled us to roll out our technology across the world, we now have a team of ten monitoring 10 million honey bees worldwide. We have also benefitted hugely from the extensive network of partners and corporates through the Yield Lab's relationships."

Roberto Vitón, Venture Partner at Yield Lab Europe, said:

"I'm excited to be joining the Yield Lab team and to expand our operations and investments in Continental Europe. With the Accelerator firmly established over its first two years we can now be ambitious in terms of the scale of our ambition."

Companies who are chosen for the 2019 Yield Lab Europe Accelerator programme will benefit from
A €100,000 investment (€75,000 in cash and €25,000 in services and support) receive:

*Access to The Yield Lab global network, including strategic corporate partners, producers, investors, entrepreneurs, and more

*All expenses paid trips to three leading AgTech and venture capital conferences in the US and Europe

*Applications for this year's programme are open until 31st July 2019 and can be found here: www.yieldlab.ie/#apply

Contact:
Doug Keatinge, Murray
+353-86-0374163
dkeatinge@murraygroup.ie