The Yield Lab Institute

The Yield Lab Institute (YLI) is an agrifood think tank and 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to supporting and advancing global agtech startups, entrepreneurs and ecosystems. 

We are proudly headquartered in St. Louis and deeply involved in and committed to growing the region’s global reputation as a powerhouse in agtech innovation, while directly supporting many St. Louis-based start-ups on their journey to commercialization.

YLI focuses its work in three strategic pillars: open innovation, thought leadership and global ecosystem connectivity. Our current programs include: H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTech and Cultivar. 

YLI is the non-profit affiliate of The Yield Lab Group, a network of global venture capital funds in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific investing in early stage agtech companies. 

More on our high-impact programming: 

HARVEST AgTech is a global innovation platform that accelerates breakthrough technologies for agriculture and food systems. Led by YLI and building on the legacy of the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), HARVEST connects selected startups with world-class research institutions and industry partners to validate and scale solutions that strengthen food security, sustainability, and farm resilience. Combining IN2 alumni companies and our first HARVEST cohort, we have 11 startups in our portfolio who call St. Louis home. 

Cultivar is a global strategic initiative designed to build bridges between the Americas to unlock agriculture innovation. Cultivar's mission is to connect and synchronize the world’s most advanced AgTech, Fintech, and Geospatial ecosystems. By fostering cross-border collaboration, we seek to catalyze the flow of investment, intelligence, and scalable technology across the entire value chain and we do it from right here in St. Louis.