Finnerty heads Yield Lab venture

PAUL FINNERTY, former CEO of the State’s largest beef processor, has been appointed chairman of The Yield Lab’s Ireland operations.

The Yield Lab, a St Louis, USA-based agriculture technology firm and business accelerator, recently established an Irish branch which will serve as The Yield Lab’s beachhead into new Irish and European Markets.

The Yield Lab Ireland Managing Director, Brian Clevinger, said: “Paul brings an exceptional international agribusiness background and network to The Yield Lab Ireland and to the companies that will participate in our programme.

“We will use the same selection process in Ireland as we do in St Louis, which is to identify and select early stage AgTech companies that sustainably increase the world food supply or reduce the inputs into the production chain.”

The Yield Lab, originally founded to support early-stage agriculture technology and sustainability, announced its plans to expand into Ireland last July.

St Louis is in the centre of the agricultural heartland of the United States, with access to numerous early-stage AgTech companies and geographic proximity to a wide array of customers, collaborators and investors across the midwest.

Speaking on his new role, Mr Finnerty said: “As the food sustainability agenda grows in importance internationally, I feel The Yield Lab’s focus on AgTech is of considerable importance and opportunity to the agri industry, both in Ireland and internationally.”