Didier Toubia aleph farms

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Cultivated Meat

Future of Foods Podcast: Didier Toubia on Aleph Farms’ Strategy for Cultivated Meat

In a recent Future of Foods interview, Alex Crisp, spoke to CEO and founder Didier Toubia on the progress of Aleph Farms. The company, which has been at the forefront of the cultivated meat industry, now has permission in at least one jurisdiction to sell its cultivated beef (Aleph Cuts) is doubling down on efficiency, market alignment, and looking at scalability. “Cultivated meat is a new animal protein category that is actually meeting expectations for a more sustainable, healthier, and delicious new experience,” Aleph Farms explains. “Instead of farming the whole animal, slaughtering them, and then harvesting meat from their carcass, we’re able to directly grow the developed part of the animal—the interesting products out of its whole body.” One of the biggest milestones for …

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Future of Foods Interviews EIT Food

Future of Foods Interviews

Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Future of Foods Podcast: Marie Brueser of EIT Food on Exciting Technologies and Innovation in the Space

Alex Crisp, writer and host of Future of Foods Interviews speaks to Marie Brueser from EIT Food on this latest podcast episode. EIT Food is charged with accelerating and driving innovation in the EU by using all the means at its disposal – including significant early-stage investment, and is described as a pan-European organization dedicated to driving innovation and entrepreneurship across the food sector to create a more sustainable and healthy food system. Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), EIT Food brings together stakeholders from across the entire food value chain—including agritech startups, industry giants, research institutions, and universities. Brueser highlights exciting areas including generative AI for food data applications, advancements in plant genetics for faster breeding, and precision fermentation, notably …

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Future of Foods Podcast

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Investments & Finance

Future of Foods Podcast: Anthony Chow, Co-Founder of Agronomics on Funding the Cellular Agriculture (r)Evolution

Alex Crisp, host of Future of Foods Interviews, speaks to Anthony Chow, co-founder of Agronomics, about the future of cellular agriculture and the negative press surrounding the cultivated meat and plant-based industries. He also discusses the challenges faced by plant-based products, particularly regarding their pricing, health concerns, and the need for innovation to attract conventional meat consumers. Agronomics is a leading UK listed investment company with a portfolio of more than 20 companies operating in cellular agriculture, precision fermentation and biotechnology. Here is a clip from the podcast: Display “Future of cellular agriculture with Anthony Chow – Agronomics” from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “Future of cellular agriculture with Anthony Chow …

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Future of Foods Interviews Senara Foods

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Future of Foods Podcast: Svenja Dannewitz Prosseda, CEO of Senara, is Producing Cell-Cultivated Milk

Alex Crisp, host of Future of Foods, Interviews Svenja Dannewitz Prosseda, CEO and founder of German company Senara which is developing a better way of feeding the world. Senara says it is the first company in the EU to develop and produce cell-cultivated milk. Founded in 2022 in Freiburg by Dr. Svenja and Dr. Philipp Prosseda, Senara claims to have developed a cost-effective platform for cultivating “real” milk at a pilot scale. Instead of using animal samples, Senara selects the best milk cells and grows them in bioreactors through a continuous, high-throughput process that reduces production costs. The final product is real milk, not a plant-based alternative, which contains essential nutrients like lactose, casein, whey, and micronutrients. It’s also free from bacteria and yeasts and …

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Alex Crisp discusses eggs with Maija from Onego Bio

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Egg Alternatives

Future of Foods Podcast: Maija Itkonen, CEO of Onego Bio Produces Bio-Identical Egg Proteins Without Chickens

Alex Crisp, host of Future of Foods Interviews, talks to Maija Itkonen, CEO and co-founder of Finnish precision fermentation company Onego Bio, about manufacturing real egg white protein, entirely without the use of chickens, which as Maija explains, are the most abused animal in the world. Onego Bio produces Bioalbumen, which the company says is bioidentical ovalbumin, the most important protein in egg white, delivering the nutritional and functional qualities of traditional eggs. The product was a winner in Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards, with Bioalbumen named the Winner of the Food category and a Finalist in the Agriculture category. This April, the company raised $40 million in one of the largest Series A rounds in the Nordics, with the fresh funds being …

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Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Future of Foods Podcast: Mark Warner, CEO of Liberation Labs

Alex Crisp, Host of Future of Foods Interviews, talks to Mark Warner CEO of Liberation Labs about building massive capacity for producing ‘hero’ proteins without using animals. Going forward much of our milk and eggs could come from precision fermentation facilities such as those being constructed by Liberation Labs. The Indiana-based biomanufacturing firm says that it “works with biotechnology’s visionaries to commercialize the bioproducts of the future – foods, materials, and yet to be discovered breakthroughs that will make all of our lives better.” Liberation Labs received $10 million from Agronomics this April for its previously announced commercial-scale biomanufacturing facility in the Midwest Industrial Park in Richmond, Indiana. The plant is due to be fully completed by the end of this year, explains Warner, who …

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Sandhya Sriram on Future of Foods podcast

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Cultivated Seafood

Future of Foods Podcast: Sandhya Sriram, Co-Founder, Shiok Meats

Alex Crisp of the Future of Foods podcast here interviews Sandhya Sriram, co-founder of Shiok Meats. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Singapore, Shiok Meats specializes in cell-cultivated shrimp, crab, and lobster, aiming to address the environmental and ethical concerns associated with traditional seafood harvesting. In March of this year, it was announced that Shiok has merged with UMAMI Bioworks, also of Singapore, to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability. In the full podcast, they discuss: regulatory approvals for cultivated meat; promotion of meat-free events; political dynamics and meat consumption; challenges for politicians and entrepreneurs; supportive environment in Singapore; business strategy and government support; resistance from traditional farmers; and collaboration between traditional and cultivated meat producers. This is …

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Future of Foods interview Laine Clark

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People

Future of Foods Podcast: Laine Clark, Corporate Engagement Manager at the Good Food Institute

Alex Crisp of the Future of Foods podcast here interviews Laine Clark, Innovation and Corporate Engagement Manager at the Good Food Institute about trends in investments across the different sectors of alt protein including precision fermentation, plant-based, and cultivated meat. Laine sees a positive future for the sector, believing that for the sake of the future, “it has to succeed”. She stresses that alternative proteins are a nascent industry, and when asked if this is a bubble, Laine stresses, “No, this is definitely not a blip or a bubble. And the reason it’s not is that we have to shift the food system. It’s just not sustainable. “And the hype around the burst bubble, I think is just that – it’s hype – it makes …

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Future of Foods podcast with Celeste Trujillo of Better Butchers

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Cultivated Meat

Future of Foods Podcast: Celeste Trujillo, Food Science, Product Development at The Better Butchers

Alex Crisp of the Future of Foods podcast here interviews The Better Butchers, a Canadian company headed by Mitchell Scott previously of The Better Food Company, which intends to create hybrid cultivated meat products. The interview with Celeste Trujillo from The Better Butchers was carried out in September 2023. Since then the following updates have taken place and are reported by the company. We have launched a new line of products to start generating revenue and build our brand: three mycelium-based crumble SKUs, an original unflavoured, a chorizo and an Italian. We launched just two weeks ago and we have sold out and are scaling to grow and meet demand. We have a minimal ingredient list, we season with spices and herbs and don’t add …

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Investment Climate Podcast

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Investments & Finance

Investment Climate Podcast: Arthur Erickson of Hylio, How to Get Funded in 2025

In this podcast series, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding Alt Proteins in 2025 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs. Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. This podcast is syndicated through our media partners, Foodtech Weekly and Vegconomist. Episode 34: Hylio In this episode, I talk with Arthur Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Hylio, a Texas-based company developing precision drone systems for agriculture. Arthur shares why they chose equity crowdfunding on StartEngine over traditional venture capital, citing the importance of control and understanding the ag industry’s …

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plantbased business hour
Plantbased Business Hour

Planting Seeds of Compassion: How Christine Mott’s ‘Free Bird’ Connects to a Future of Ethical Investing

During a recent episode of the Plantbased Business Hour, Elysabeth Alfano sat down with former lawyer-turned-author, Christine Mott. A passionate advocate for animal welfare and the author of a new children’s book, Free Bird: Flaco the Owl’s Dreams Take Flight, Christine’s work highlights a critical theme that resonates with those involved in food system transformation away from animal agriculture: shaping the future through early education in empathy and ethics. The power of early education in compassion Christine shared her motivation behind choosing a children’s book format, emphasizing the powerful, long-term impact of teaching compassion to the next generation. She spoke candidly about the challenges of addressing serious societal issues—violence toward animals, environmental degradation, and systemic injustices—in ways that are accessible and engaging for young minds. Christine …

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Plant Based Business Hour

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Plantbased Business Hour

A Democratic Protein Revolution: Structuring the Next Phase of Food System Transformation with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

As climate pressures, consumer demand, and economic imperatives converge, the global food sector stands at the brink of systemic change. It isn’t a question of if, but of how fast. A recent conversation on The Plantbased Business Hour hosted by VegTech Invest’s CEO, Elysabeth Alfano, featured Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Their discussion reinforced a critical message: the time to invest in structural shifts—across yield innovation, value-added infrastructure, and supply chain transformation—is now. Canada’s role in the global shift to sustainable protein Dr. Charlebois described how Canada, a major agricultural player, is rapidly pivoting from traditional meat-centric models toward what he terms a “democratic protein play.” This emerging model emphasizes pulses and legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and …

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Investment Climate Podcast

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Investments & Finance

Investment Climate Podcast: Govin Induchoodan of Glenntex, How to Get Funded in 2025

In this podcast series, Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors about benchmarks for funding Alt Proteins in 2025 and uncovers the investment playbooks of successful Climate Tech CEOs and Leading VCs. Podcast Host Alex Shandrovksy is a strategic advisor to numerous global food tech accelerators and companies, including alternative proteins and cellular agriculture leaders. His focus is on investor relations and post-raise scale for agrifood tech companies. This podcast is syndicated through our media partners; Foodtech Weekly and Vegconomist. Episode 24: Glenntex In this episode, we sit down with Govin Induchoodan, co-founder of Glenntex and COO, a climate tech startup spun out of academic research at Chalmers University. Govin shares his journey from PhD researcher to entrepreneur, detailing how he built a deep-tech packaging company with sustainability …

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Guest Posts

In the Wake of MAHA, Is 2025 the Year to Finance Food Fast?

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an Advisor to a food innovation ETF. She is a consultant to multi-national companies focused on sustainability and an Advisor to C-Suite interested in understanding the growth and whitespaces in the food industry. She is also the host of the podcast, The Plantbased Business Hour on iTunes and vegconomist. In a recent Upside & Impact: Investing for Change podcast episode, Elysabeth Alfano explored the urgency of food system transformation with Ertharin Cousin, CEO of Food Systems for the Future and former Executive Director of the World Food Programme. The discussion highlighted the need for smart capital, policy alignment, and a patient investment approach in the wake of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative. In the Wake of MAHA, Is 2025 …

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Guest Posts

What Do We Really Know About American Farmers? A Financial Perspective on Agriculture’s Future

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an Advisor to a food innovation ETF. She is a consultant to multi-national companies focused on sustainability and an Advisor to C-Suite interested in understanding the growth and whitespaces in the food industry. She is also the host of the podcasts The Plantbased Business Hour and Upside & Impact: Investing for Change. In a recent episode of the Upside & Impact: Investing for Change podcast, former Deputy Under Secretary for the USDA, Sanah Baig, provided an in-depth look at the current state of American farming and the economic realities shaping its future. As impact investors, we at VegTech Invest see both challenges and opportunities in this evolving agricultural landscape, particularly as it relates to sustainability, food security, and the role of innovation …

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Guest Posts

Financing Food Fast: Blended Capital and the Race to 2030

CEO of VegTech™ Invest, Elysabeth Alfano, speaks with Caitlin Maclean, senior director of Innovative Finance at the Milken Institute and Holly Freishtat, senior director at Feeding Change. The investment landscape is undergoing a transformation as institutional and philanthropic investors increasingly turn their attention to food systems. Historically overshadowed by sectors like renewable energy and technology, food systems are now being recognized as both a major contributor to climate change and a critical area for financial growth. As discussed in the latest episode of Upside & Impact: Investing for Change, hosted by Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest, the food industry is not only an essential component of human health and food security but also a significant factor in global economic resilience and sustainability. Food systems as …

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Plant Based Business Hour

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Plantbased Business Hour

Why the US Department of Energy Is Investing in Food Innovation: The Financial Case for Next-Generation Protein Production

The future of food is being shaped by unexpected players, and among them is the US Department of Energy (DOE). Traditionally focused on infrastructure, fuel sources, and energy grids, the DOE’s investment in alternative protein technology highlights a critical financial and environmental shift: food innovation is now a national energy priority. The recent episode of The Plantbased Business Hour hosted by VegTech Invest’s CEO, Elysabeth Alfano, featured Mike Messersmith, CEO of Tender Food, a company pioneering an innovative approach to plant-based meat production. Their breakthrough technology—spinning fava bean protein, rice protein, and oat fiber into fibrous, meat-like textures—represents a new frontier in food technology. But what makes this so relevant to the Department of Energy? Food innovation as an energy solution The DOE’s involvement in food production, investing $5 million in Tender Food as …

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Guest Posts

Top Three Reasons Investing in Food Innovation Will Take Center Stage Before 2030

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an Advisor to a food innovation ETF. She is a consultant to multi-national companies focused on sustainability and an Advisor to C-Suite interested in understanding the growth and whitespaces in the food industry. She is also the host of the podcast, The Plantbased Business Hour on iTunes and vegconomist. In this guest post, Elysabeth Alfano discusses why investing in food innovation will take center stage before 2030. She explores the inefficiencies and externalized costs of the current global food system, the role of alternative proteins in addressing these challenges, and the growing investment opportunities within the sector. Top Three Reasons Investing in Food Innovation Will Take Center Stage Before 2030 Why would the food system ever change?  …

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Elysabeth alfano

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Sustainability / Environment

How Does the Food System Reduce Natural Capital?

As the global economy faces mounting pressure from environmental degradation, investors and economists alike are grappling with a pressing question: Can economic growth persist if natural capital—the foundation of our ecological and economic systems—continues to erode? Paul Gruenwald, Global Chief Economist for S&P Global, tackled this issue on a recent episode of Upside & Impact: Investing for Change, hosted by VegTech Invest’s CEO, Elysabeth Alfano. The discussion centered around the economic implications of declining natural capital, including the tremendous pressure from our current food system, the necessity of integrating environmental considerations into financial models, and the potential for “green growth” to sustain economic expansion. The case for green growth Traditional economic models have long focused on physical capital—factories, infrastructure, and investment portfolios—while treating natural capital, such …

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US department of defense

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Guest Posts

Department of Defense Invests Heavily in Food Innovation: Why?

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an advisor to a food innovation ET, and a consultant to C-Suite of multinational companies. She speaks internationally on the intersection of investing, sustainability, and food systems transformation and is also the host of the podcast, Upside & Impact: Investing for Change. In this article, which originally ran on Advisorpedia.com, Elysabeth Alfano explores the US Department of Defense’s significant investment in food innovation through the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). She examines how food security, supply chain resilience, environmental impact, and public health concerns drive this initiative, positioning food system transformation as both a national security priority and a major investment opportunity. Department of Defense Invests Heavily in Food Innovation: Why? The US Department of Defense is investing heavily …

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