The Yield Lab Latam announces advancement of its third AgriFoodTech Fund with new investment from the Global Environment Facility

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the newest investor in The Yield Lab Latam's third fund, the Opportunity Fund, a venture capital fund specializing in agriculture and food technology in Latin America and the Caribbean. The fund will invest in 30 companies in the Seed and Series A/B stages in the region over the next few years and is in the final stage of fundraising.

Through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a GEF-accredited agency, GEF has committed an investment totaling US$6 million. GEF joins other important organizations investing in the fund, such as? Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company; Grupo Bimbo, the world's largest bread producer; SQM, a Chilean mining company active in strategic sectors for sustainable development such as health and food; Fondo de Fondos, a specialized? investment firm from Mexico, and IDB Lab, the innovation and venture capital arm of the IDB.

"The fund aims to raise US$50 million to invest in startups that are reshaping the agri-food value chain in an inclusive, transparent, innovative, and disruptive manner. Since its inception, it has been supported by well-known players in the innovation market and institutional investors in various countries in Latin America, with the aim of promoting innovation in the food technology and agriculture sector and being an important bridge between agri-food and venture capital ecosystems throughout the region," explained The Yield Lab Latam Managing Partner, Santiago Murtagh.

For GEF, The Yield Lab Opportunity Fund is a broad opportunity to accelerate technology and local innovation for sustainable and decarbonized food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. "The objective of the Project is to support a transition to decarbonized and sustainable food systems through systematic acceleration and expansion of technology-based catalytic solutions, strengthening stakeholders as a means to achieve climate change mitigation, adaptation, and restoration," said the official statement on its website.?

The regional fund will invest at a critical stage for early-stage companies, thereby enabling the implementation of high-impact solutions that address some of the most important needs and barriers in the agri-food sector.

"At IDB Lab, we are committed to fostering innovation and supporting the growth of startups that can drive transformative change in the agri-food sector. The Yield Lab Latam's Opportunity Fund aligns with our mission to catalyze solutions for sustainable development. We are excited to see the positive impact this investment will have on food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean," said Magdalena Coronel, CIO of IDB Lab.