Cultivated meat company Aleph Farms announces it has appointed food industry veteran Kevin Benmoussa as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Benmoussa will lead the company’s global growth agenda and operational expansion in the US from the company’s new headquarters in NYC.
“Aleph Farms is at an inflection point and has promising potential to significantly optimize the way we approach the production of animal-based products”
According to Aleph Farms, Benmoussa brings extensive food industry experience, having served as CFO of The Vita Coco Company, where he was responsible for expanding the brand’s global finance functions ahead of its IPO in 2021. Benmoussa also previously held corporate leadership positions with Nestlé Waters North America, Inc. and PepsiCo.
“Kevin is a veteran of the food and beverage industry, and brings invaluable expertise in defining and executing winning strategies for achieving growth and profitability,” said Didier Toubia, CEO and co-founder of Aleph Farms. “Kevin joins at an exciting time for Aleph Farms as we look to establish a new category of animal products by gaining regulatory approvals, scaling our production and driving consumer acceptance.”
First product launch
At Aleph Farms, Benmoussa will also oversee global finance, administration and legal departments for the company, as it prepares for the launch of its first product – a cultivated thin-cut beef steak. Aleph, which is the first cultivated company to grow steaks directly from animal cells, says it is working closely with regulatory agencies around the world in anticipation of the launch. It also plans to produce different cuts of steaks and cultivated collagen.
Aleph has pioneered multiple breakthroughs in cultivated meat production, including sending the first cultured bovine cells to space, growing beef using non-genetically modified cells, and creating the first thick-cut cultivated steak.
To date, the company has raised over $118M from investors that included Cargill and seafood giant Thai Union, as well as actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio.
Driving transformation
“Aleph Farms is at an inflection point and has promising potential to significantly optimize the way we approach the production of animal-based products by improving sustainability, food security, and animal welfare conditions in our food systems,” said Mr. Benmoussa. “I am extremely excited to join Didier and his team, and help drive this transformation from our new US offices.”
