EIF backs Yield Lab Europe €100m agrifood fund, 30% for Ireland
- The EIF committed €25 million as anchor investor to Yield Lab Europe Fund 2, backed by InvestEU.
- The fund is expected to mobilise €100 million, with 30% of investments targeted to Ireland.
- Fund 2 will back Seed and Series A agrifood technology across multiple sectors, with initial tickets averaging ≈€750,000 and two-thirds of capital reserved for follow-ons.
- The fund is classified as Article 9 SFDR with a 90% Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability investment target and ties a portion of carried interest to measurable impact targets.
EIF anchor commitment
The European Investment Fund committed €25 million to Yield Lab Europe Fund 2, backed by InvestEU, as an anchor investor to help mobilise an expected €100 million for early-stage agrifood technology investments. The fund is registered and domiciled in Ireland and managed by Yield Lab Europe Ltd, an AIFM regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Investment focus and structure
Fund 2 targets Seed and Series A companies developing technologies across animal health, alternative proteins, aquaculture, crop and soil health, horticulture, precision agriculture and the circular economy. Initial tickets average approximately €750,000 and two-thirds of investable capital is reserved for follow-on rounds.
Sustainability and impact alignment
The fund is classified as an Article 9 SFDR vehicle with a 90% Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability (CA&ES) investment target. A portion of carried interest is directly tied to delivering measurable impact targets to align financial incentives with sustainability outcomes.
Rationale and track record
Yield Lab Europe Fund 2 is intended to address three structural barriers: chronic underfinancing of upstream agrifood innovation, gaps in technology access and adoption across the value chain, and the climate transition investment deficit in agrifood. It builds on Fund 1 (EUR 55 million, 32 investments, positive return, 43% of portfolio companies with female promoters) with portfolio examples including Auravant, Glasport Bio and Micron Agritech.
Source: EIB