Brave New Meat

Joshua March is the co-founder and CEO of SciFi Foods. They are developing cultivated beef and starting with hybrid products to bring the price down to comparable prices with conventional beef.In this episode we discuss:CRISPR in cultivated meatRaising investment from Coldplay and A16ZThe regulatory landscape in the USBuilding their first facility in the USMentioned in the episode -Food Dive Article: SciFi Foods reduces the cost of cell-based beef 1,000-foldRaise from A16Z: $22M Series A

Dr Aletta Schnitzler, the Chief Scientific Officer of TurtleTree, which is replacing animal-derived milk products with fermentation and cell-based products.Aletta is incredibly knowledgeable about the technology and people in this space. We cover a lot of ground including:Her efforts establishing Merck KGaA, Darmstadt Germany in the cultivated meat spaceTransitioning from a global corporation to rising startup TurtletreeHow they are operating as a team of 40 globally with their Singapore based headquarters and labs in Boston and California.One of their first upcoming products, lactoferrin and their roadmap from baby formula and ultimately to milk.Her perspective on the Techno-Economic Analysis by David Humbird and Whitespace opportunities for entrepreneurs in food tech.Hope you enjoy the show and reach out to me on twitter @meat  

Elysabeth is the Founder of Plant Powered Consulting and enjoys helping small, medium, and large companies with business development, marketing/branding and PR strategies.She also produces and hosts the weekly series The Plantbased Business Hour. On PBH, Elysabeth features venture capitalists, CEOs, analysts, innovators, and entrepreneurial start-ups from around the globe who are shaping the plant-based market.Elysabeth is also the Co-Founder of VegTech Invest (Ticker: EATV): This ETF features 40+ companies in the plant-based and climate industry and is publicly traded.  Disclaimer this is not financial advice and I am not a financial advisor. Do your own research this is for informational purposes only.In this episode:Plant Powered ConsultingPlantbased Business HourFuture Food Tech Conference - March 24th and 25th: Use the code BRAVE10 for 10% off registration fees.Gamechangers on Netflix- Everyone should watch this to counter the narrative that you need animal protein to be an athlete. VegTech ETFJohn Salley with Elysabeth - Protein or Fiber?

Gelatex is using its nanofiber technology to develop scaffolding for cultivated meat companies. This EstonianTechstar alum pivoted from disrupting the leather industry to food tech.In this interview, Co-founder Märt-Erik Martens contrasts their technology with other approaches used for cultivated meat scaffolding. We also discuss his upcoming panel with Josh Tetrick at Future Food-Tech Summit and he drops a sneak peek of what might come up.....Future Food-Tech SummitThis March 24-25 the Future Food-Tech Summit will unite food brands, investors, start-ups and technology leaders in San Francisco for an unmissable gathering.If you’ve missed sitting round a table and pooling ideas with industry colleagues, catching up with old friends and making those all-important corridor-connections, don’t miss your chance to join me and the global community at the Marriot Marquis in San Francisco.The summit also supports start-ups to gain the attention of potential investors and partners through a full program of start-up activity, including Innovation Challenges, pitch sessions, investor drop-ins and TechHub displays and will be hosted online as well as in person, so that you can choose whether to attend in San Francisco or log in from home.Details: futurefoodtechsf.comUse the code BRAVE10 for 10% off the registration fees

Roslin Technologies develops induced pluripotent stem cells for cultivated meat companies.Ernst Van Orsouw took the helm last year to lead the company. In this interview, we discuss their induced pluripotent stem cell lines IPSCs and how they are different from the approaches many other companies are taking.Future Food-Tech SummitThis March 24-25 the Future Food-Tech Summit will unite food brands, investors, start-ups and technology leaders in San Francisco for an unmissable gathering.If you’ve missed sitting round a table and pooling ideas with industry colleagues, catching up with old friends and making those all-important corridor-connections, don’t miss your chance to join me and the global community at the Marriot Marquis in San Francisco.The summit also supports start-ups to gain the attention of potential investors and partners through a full program of start-up activity, including Innovation Challenges, pitch sessions, investor drop-ins and TechHub displays and will be hosted online as well as in person, so that you can choose whether to attend in San Francisco or log in from home.Details: futurefoodtechsf.comUse the code BRAVE10 for 10% off the registration fees

 Orbillion is one of the most exciting companies in cultivated meat.They are a YC alum startup and have a really different perspective on the future of cultivated meat - namely heritage breeds.  They are pursuing bison, elk,  and wagyu beef. In this episode we cover:The founding story of their teamHow they are different from competitors in the marketTheir time in YCombinator and Creative Destructive LabsWhy she initially didn’t want to do a tasting event (here's how it came out!)Views on Joe Fassler’s Counter articleFuture Food-Food Tech Summit (use code BRAVE10 to save 10%!)This March 24-25 the Future Food-Tech Summit will unite food brands, investors, start-ups and technology leaders in San Francisco for an unmissable gathering.If you’ve missed sitting round a table and pooling ideas with industry colleagues, catching up with old friends and making those all-important corridor-connections, don’t miss your chance to join me and the global community at the Marriot Marquis in San Francisco. The summit also supports start-ups to gain the attention of potential investors and partners through a full program of start-up activity, including Innovation Challenges, pitch sessions, investor drop-ins and TechHub displays and will be hosted online as well as in person, so that you can choose whether to attend in San Francisco or log in from home.Find out more at futurefoodtechsf.com and use code BRAVE10 to save 10% on the registration fees. 

Christie Lagally is the founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods, one of the most exciting startups in the plant-based meat industry. Their technology is changing the cost structure and scalability of the largest market protein market in the world - chicken.In this episode we cover:Her background in aerospace engineering and at the Good Food Institute that helped her develop the idea for Rebellyous FoodsTheir time at YcombinatorLaunching in multiple channels - online, retail, and the National School Lunch ProgramWhy current plant-based chicken can't scale and how they are tackling the problemFuture Food-Food Tech Summit (use code BRAVE10 to save 10%!)This March 24-25 the Future Food-Tech Summit will unite food brands, investors, start-ups and technology leaders in San Francisco for an unmissable gathering.If you’ve missed sitting round a table and pooling ideas with industry colleagues, catching up with old friends and making those all-important corridor-connections, don’t miss your chance to join me and the global community at the Marriot Marquis in San Francisco. The summit also supports start-ups to gain the attention of potential investors and partners through a full program of start-up activity, including Innovation Challenges, pitch sessions, investor drop-ins and TechHub displays and will be hosted online as well as in person, so that you can choose whether to attend in San Francisco or log in from home.Find out more at futurefoodtechsf.com and use code BRAVE10 to save 10% on the registration fees. 

Christoph Mayr is the co-founder and CEO of Mirai Foods, which is developing cultivated beef in Switzerland.They've managed to bootstrap their way to a burger tasting event in a Switzerland restaurant, and followed up with a $4.5M USD seed round.In this interview, Christoph and I discuss his entrepreneurial journey that led him from  Germany to South Korea with his company in the online food delivery industry and ultimately founding Mirai Foods.A few highlights from this conversation - insights on raising VC money in Europe, his view of competition within the industry,  and defining a  cultivated meat "pilot plant".We also get into his views about the Joe Fassel Counter article making waves in the industry.

Cultured Meat Symposium - October 22-23 in San Francisco: I hope you'll join me next month at the Cultured Meat Symposium. I attended last year virtually, and this year it will be an IN-PERSON event!!!They have an amazing lineup of speakers, a few of which have been guests on the show.My guest today is Michael Aucoin, CEO of Eat Beyond  (ticker EATBF).  They invest in the alternative protein industry and are one of the few ways retail investors can get exposure to this market.In this episode, we talk about why people are so excited about the investment opportunity, where he sees the world’s protein coming from in 10 years, and details on their portfolio companies. 

Cultured Meat Symposium - October 22-23 : The Cultured Meat Symposium is coming up in October  and will be  hybrid in-person and online event. Hard to imagine, but we will actually get to see each other.  I’ve had over 20 episodes of this podcast and never actually met anyone in this industy in person. Not one. Here’s our chance.My guest today is Sandya Sriram, co-founder and CEO of Shiok Meats based out of Singapore. They are one of the first seafood companies in the industry, focused on bringing crustaceans to market.Prior to Shiok Meats, Sandhya co-founded two ventures - Biotech in Asia, a Singapore-based Biotech and Healthcare Information Hub in 2014, and SciGlo, an EdTech event management company in 2016. After graduating with a Ph.D. from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Sandhya pursued her postdoctoral at A*STAR, also in Singapore.In this episode, we cover their full story, starting from their founding up to their recent big news of acquiring another cultivated meat startup, Gaia Foods.

“Business is this funky psychological construct where we come to work out our issues” - Marc St. OngeMarc St Onge is a  serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Smallfood, which is using biomass fermentation from marine microbes.In this conversation, we dive into their technology which originated with another company in Southern California before being leveraged by  Marc and his team in Nova Scotia.We also talk about their selection as a semi-finalist in the X Prize competition to Feed the next billion.Marc has a great perspective on the psychology of entrepreneurship and business.  He refers to business as an energy management system, which I find to be a very useful lens through which to view organizing people working toward a common goal.Mentioned in the episode:Four Fish -  by Paul GreenbergTwitter @smallfoodincSmallfood.com

“If we want to make meat for Africa, we’ve got to start looking differently at the solution as opposed to just replicating what's worked overseas.”My guest for this episode is Brett Thompson, co-founder and CEO of Mzansi meat, the first cultivated meat startup in Africa.In this interview, we cover a lot of ground I haven’t previously discussed on this show…Developing cultivated meat for the African markets diverse expectations and needs. Raising funds and growing their team  as two non-technical co-founders. Efforts to gain access to the President of South Africa’s special Ankole cattle herd for a sample to develop a cell line.Mentioned in this episode - mutton/the future of meat  https://freakonomics.com/podcast/meat/. https://www.mzansimeat.co/Twitter: @mzansimeatco

Chris Bryson is a successful entrepreneur who sold his first company, Unata, to Instacart before becoming an investor and entrepreneur in the alt protein industry.He’s invested through the Glass Wall Syndicate in numerous plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated companies. In this episode, we discuss his new venture, new school foods, which is developing a plant-based, whole-cut salmon.Chris also shares his thesis for investing in companies.We also talk about his unique approach to product development through partnering with multiple research groups. They’ve been able to leverage an amazing grant program through the Canadian government to make this possible.

Paul Shapiro,  CEO of the Better Meat Co and best-selling author of Clean Meat returns to the podcast to discuss the launch of their new biomass fermentation facility to develop Rhiza...a microflora-based protein that provides an amazing meat-like eating experience.Mentioned in this episode: Better Meat Co in  Forbes, Food Dive, and Food Navigator. paul.shapiro.com weekly newsletter - cute animals, jokes, alt protein news all in a succinct 1 minute readBusiness for Good PodcastBetter Meat Co Rhiza partner The Plant Based Seafood Company - (I love the coconut shrimp!) 

Blake Byrne specializes in business innovation at the Good Food Institute (GFI), working with startups and investors to scale alt protein.  Most recently, Blake was the lead author on GFI's 2020 "State of the Industry" report for cultivated meat.From his vantage point at GFI, he's gained a unique perspective on the startups, investors, and incumbent companies driving the future of protein. In this episode, we unpack the people, advances,  and trends that shaped a phenomenal year for the cultivated meat industry. State of the Industry ReportsAlso mentioned in this episode...Renewable Energy is Suddenly Startling Cheap - Bill McKibben - The New YorkerHello Cultured Meat, Goodbye to the Cruelty of Industrial Animal Farming Matthew Skully - The National Review. 

Lou Cooperhouse is co-founder and CEO of BlueNalu. BlueNalu's mission is to be the global leader in cell-cultured seafood, and Lou has deep experience in a 35-year career in food industry innovation. He’s been involved in numerous startups and was the Director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and CEO of Food Spectrum, which provided strategic consulting and business management expertise to the food industry.In this wide-ranging interview, we discuss the founding story of BlueNalu, including their time in stealth mode when the team tried their cell-cultured amberjack for the first time. We cover BlueNalu’s five-phase plan to scale up to a profitable production facility. Lou offers his perspective on the advantages of fish over terrestrial animals to develop cell-cultured products. We also discuss details on a recent announcement regarding agreements with Mitsubishi and Thai Union that will help them scale to what Lou believes will be the largest customer base….AsiaThese are great insights and perspectives from a leader of one of the most well-capitalized startups in the industry.Follow them on Twitter @bluenaluincBluenalu.com

David Bucca is the founder and CEO of Change Foods. They are using precision fermentation to develop cheese... without the cow.In this episode, we discuss why fermentation is the third pillar along with plant-based and cultivated approaches to create food products without animals.We also cover the distinction between precision vs biomass fermentationWhy David decided to start a company using fermentation over cultivated or plant-based approachesBuilding a team remotely from Australia and their plans to produce in the US.How precision fermentation will disrupt the dairy industry And a lot more.Change Foods Twitter @change_foodsAlso mentioned in this episode...RethinkX "The Second Domestication of Plants and Animals, the Disruption of the Cow, and the Collapse of Industrial Livestock Farming"CE Delft Techno Economic Analysis presented by the Good Food Institute 

"GlassWall is a one-stop shop and you’re getting heart-led venture capital”My guest today is Macy Marriott of the GlassWall Syndicate. This is a really unique organization for both investors and entrepreneurs in cultivated meat, fermentation, and plant-based protein.If you’re an accredited angel investor, family office, or venture fund looking to invest in this space with access to deal flow this is going to be an incredibly helpful interview for you. https://glasswallsyndicate.org/Linkedin: Glasswall SyndicateTwitter: @GWSyndicateRethinkX report  - “Rethinking Food and Agriculture 2020-2030”AT Kearney report - “How Will Cultured Meat and Meat Alternatives Disrupt the Agricultural and Food Industry?"This is only for informational purposes only. I am not a financial advisor and this is not investment advice.

Nieves Martinez is the  CEO and Co-founder of Novel Farms. Prior to launching the company, she was a senior scientist at Wild Earth, which was founded by Ron Shigeta (who was a guest on this show) and Ryan Bethencourt. In this episode, we discuss how she and her co-founder Michelle Lu started with a unique approach to scaffolding that led them on their mission to develop whole cuts of Iberico ham - a premium Spanish meat. We also cover -Making the move from Wild Earth to starting Novel Farms Their experience with Big Idea VenturesPerspective on competing with plant-based protein companies Sandhya Shriam of Shiok Meats and her impact on Nieves as an advisor and fellow female founder of a cultivated meat company.

If you are a startup, foundation, or investor in need of expertise in cultivated meat, cellular agriculture, and plant-based proteins, you’re going to get a lot of value out of this episode.My guest today is Kate Krueger, Founder of Helikon consulting - where she brings her background in protein biochemistry and alternative proteins to help organizations make new foods that can make the world a cleaner and greener place.Kate’s areas of expertise span plant-based protein, cellular agriculture, and cultivated meat. Prior to Helikon, she was the Research Director at New Harvest and also worked at Perfect Day Foods on protein design and purification, contributing to Perfect Days foundational patent.In this episode, we discuss Kates's move to launch Helikon, her role as a technical advisor for  X-prize's  Feed the Next Billion; a 4-year competition with a $15M prize for the team that can produce an alternative chicken breast or fish fillet.We also get into the pros and cons of cultivated meat leveraging genetic modification, and opportunities for new startups coming into the space.https://www.xprize.org/prizes/feedthenextbillion - Keep up with the updates or sign up to participate in the $15M X-prize competitionCell-Based Fish: A Novel Approach to Seafood Production and an Opportunity for Cellular Agriculture, Frontier in Sustainable Food Ventures. Rubio, Krueger, et al. (2019)Helikon newsletterScale Up Economics for Cultured Meat. Humburg (2020)Twitter @katekruegerLinkedin