The Yield Lab is an agriculture technology firm and business accelerator based in Missouri in the US. As chair, Finnerty will guide the strategic direction of the company in Ireland.

“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,” said Yield Lab Ireland managing director Brian Clevinger.

The Yield Lab, originally founded in 2014, announced its plans to expand into Ireland in July 2016 during a St Louis Economic Trade delegation visit to the country. Its aim is to leverage Ireland’s proximity to European early-stage agriculture technologies, agricultural production and market access.

The Yield Lab Ireland intends to host its first cohort of companies in St Louis in the summer of 2017 to expose them to new markets and capital opportunities.

Finnerty retired from his job as CEO of ABP Food Group at the end of September this year.