Shiru Inc. of California today announces the onboarding of Dr Ranjani Varadan as its first Chief Scientific Officer. Dr Vardan was the first scientist hired by Patrick Brown at Impossible Foods where she served from 2011-2021 in roles including Vice President of Strategic Ingredients and Vice President of Research and Development.
Founded in 2019, Shiru is focused on the discovery of naturally occurring proteins that can replace animal-based products. The company’s Flourish™ discovery platform combines precision fermentation, machine learning, and high-throughput screening to develop high-value functional ingredients.
All-star lineup
The news closely follows Shiru’s hiring of three new advisors including former president and CEO of Tyson Foods Dean Banks. Rachel Konrad, also previously of Impossible Foods, sits on the Board of Directors.
Uniquely qualified
“Ranjani played an essential role in Impossible Foods’ trajectory, from its earliest days as a stealth lab to its mainstream, mass-market scaleup. That makes her uniquely qualified to help lead our team as Shiru scales up discovery and production of ingredients for the world’s largest food conglomerates,” said CEO Jasmin Hume. “Also, after working closely with her as a trusted adviser, I know she is a team player, 100% mission-aligned with our growing workforce.”
“Shiru has world-class scientists, a growing reputation as a true partner to its corporate customers, and exceptional esprit de corps,” comments Dr Varadan. “The team shares my deep passion and sense of urgency to decarbonize our planet by making the food system sustainable. Shiru is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me — and for our planet.”
For more information, visit www.shiru.com.
