Building a New Food System with Vow Co-founder George Peppou
Nov 23, 2022
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George Peppou, co-founder of Vow, a cellular-based meat company, talks about reinventing the food system by creating lab-grown meat. They discuss his journey as an adventurer and inventor, planning careers in cultured meat, building a company outside the competitive Bay Area, navigating challenges, and the power of early believers.
Val is a cellular based meat company aiming to reinvent the food system by growing meat in labs.
Vow intentionally chose to build the company in Australia to leverage benefits like tax incentives and access to talent.
George and his co-founder focused on de-risking the concept of cultured meat, adapting their plan, and receiving crucial support from an early believer.
Deep dives
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.
Building Val in Australia: Challenges and Strategic Thinking
Val made the intentional decision to build the company in Australia, despite the common notion of starting tech companies in Silicon Valley. They realized that the high cost of doing business in the US and the intense competition could hinder their progress. Instead, they leveraged the benefits of being in Australia, such as the R&D tax incentive and access to talent. They focused on making progress quietly and intentionally operated in smaller markets like Singapore and Australia, while strategically planning for future expansion into larger markets like the US and China. They learned to manage chaos, navigate dependencies, and make decisions that optimize time, becoming more strategic in their thinking.
The Founder's Journey and Important Support
George Pebou and his co-founder, Tim, embarked on the Val journey with a shared passion for reinventing the food system. They initially had little knowledge and faced uncertainties, but they focused on de-risking the concept and continuously solving problems. They learned to adapt, pivot, and adjust their plan as they made progress. Along the way, they received significant support from Sam, an early believer, who provided feedback, direction, and confidence. Sam's support and coaching played a crucial role in building George's confidence and reaffirming the significance of their vision.
Reinventing Meat for a Sustainable Future
The goal of the company is to redesign meat to be tasty, nutritious, and sustainable. They aim to create a no-compromise food that consumers will enjoy, while also being cost-effective and good for the planet. The company believes that by creating meat products that people love, they can drive behavior change towards more sustainable options. They are focused on targeting highly motivated groups such as chefs and athletes, and solving their specific needs with innovative plant-based meat products.
Building Brands that Endure in the Cultured Meat Industry
The company aims to leverage its technological advantage in cultured meat to build brands that can endure beyond that advantage. They compare their strategy to brands like Cheerios, which have endured long after their technological advantage has faded. By focusing on product quality, taste, and solving unmet needs, they aim to create products that can withstand the test of time. The company also emphasizes the importance of scaling efficiently and reducing costs to achieve economies of scale in the production of cultured meat.
Todays episode was with Vow co-founder George Peppou.
Vow is a cellular based meat company that has taken Australia by storm in the past few years.
They’re trying to reinvent the food system by creating meat that is grown in labs.
Recently they raised one of Australia’s largest Series A investment rounds at $73.5 million. In todays episode we talk about George’s story, how he started vow and lessons from the whole process.
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