The Yield Lab Institute Launches Global Cattle Innovation Platform, Expanding Proven H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTech Model Into Beef And Dairy

Industry leaders, producers, researchers, investors, and innovators convene in Kansas City during FIFA World Cup 2026 to accelerate the future of cattle innovation

The Yield Lab Institute (YLI) today announced the launch of the Global Cattle Innovation Platform (GCIP), a new global initiative designed to accelerate innovation across beef and dairy production systems worldwide. Built upon the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTech model, GCIP expands YLI’s open innovation platform into the cattle sector, bringing together producers, researchers, industry leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing animal agriculture.

The announcement was made during a gathering of agricultural leaders in Kansas City, coinciding with FIFA World Cup 2026 activities and highlighting the region’s longstanding leadership in animal health and its emergence as a critical convening point for investment and international collaboration.

Drawing upon the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTech model—which evolved from the internationally recognized Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2)—GCIP will leverage a trusted approach to supporting entrepreneurs through technical validation, ecosystem connectivity, and commercialization pathways. The platform will connect stakeholders across the cattle value chain to identify priority challenges, accelerate promising solutions, and create new opportunities for collaboration across industry, research, investment, and production.

The expansion into cattle reflects growing demand for a producer-informed, industry-driven platform capable of accelerating solutions for beef and dairy production while advancing producer profitability, sustainability, animal health and welfare, operational resilience, and global food security.

The future of cattle innovation will be defined by our ability to work across traditional boundaries. No single company, region, research institution, or producer network can solve these challenges alone,” said Stephanie Regagnon, Executive Director of The Yield Lab Institute (YLI). “By connecting global expertise with producer-informed priorities, we can ensure innovation is visionary yet practical, and grounded in the realities of modern cattle production.”

As part of the launch, YLI announced the formation of an External Advisory Board (EAB) comprised of respected leaders from across the global cattle ecosystem. The Board will help shape the strategic direction of the platform, identify priority innovation opportunities, and play a key role in selecting the startups GCIP will support on their journey to commercialization.

Today’s launch marks the first phase of a broader platform that will continue to grow over the coming year.
Over the coming months, the Global Cattle Innovation Platform will announce:

• Strategic research and technical validation partners
• Priority innovation targets informed by industry stakeholders
• Funding and commercialization partners
• Entrepreneur engagement opportunities and future cohort timelines
• Additional members of the platform’s advisory and partner network

The launch builds on YLI’s broader mission to connect innovation ecosystems, advance thought leadership, and support entrepreneurs working to deliver bold innovations that address the world’s agricultural challenges.

Global Cattle Innovation Platform External Advisory Board

• Brett Spader, Executive Vice President, American International Charolais Association
• Jackie McClaskey, President and Chief Innovation Officer, American Royal Association
• Bob Thompson, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
• Jackie Klippenstein, SVP & Chief Government and Industry Relations Officer, Dairy Farmers of America
• Dustin Johansen, SVP, Livestock Division, Farm Journal• Duane Cantrell, Managing Director, Fulcrum Global Capital
• Jared Wareham, Principal, Horizon Venture Management
• Matt Teagarden, Chief Executive Officer, Kansas Livestock Association
• Polly Ruhland, Principal, Polly Ruhland Advisory
• Samantha Werth, Executive Director, U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
• Kieran Gartlan, Managing Partner, The Yield Lab LATAM