The Beginnings of Val and the Vision to Reinvent the Food System

Val is a cellular based meat company founded by George Pebou. The company aims to create meat that is grown in labs, with the goal of reinventing the food system. The team recognized the need to reduce the environmental impact of animal agriculture and saw cultured meat as a promising solution. They identified the complexity of meat as a major challenge and believed that plant-based alternatives could not fully replicate the taste and texture of traditional meat. Therefore, they focused on developing cultured meat by growing animal cells outside of the animal. They faced initial skepticism and challenges in understanding the technical aspects, but they were determined to de-risk the concept and make a proof of concept.