Upside Foods

Upside Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) is a Berkeley, California-based cultivated meat company founded in 2015 by Dr. Uma Valeti, Nicholas Genovese, and Will Clem. The company produces chicken directly from animal cells without slaughter, using bioreactor-based cell cultivation. In June 2023, Upside Foods and GOOD Meat became the first US companies to receive USDA approval to sell cultivated meat commercially — a historic regulatory milestone for the food technology industry.\n\nUpside Foods has raised $612 million across seven funding rounds from investors including Tyson Foods, Cargill, Softbank Vision Fund, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson, at a valuation of approximately $1 billion. Commercial sales launched through a partnership with Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn at Bar Crenn in San Francisco, followed by additional restaurant partners. The company's engineering-grade production facility in Emeryville, California serves as both a pilot plant and a showcase for the cultivation technology.\n\nUpside Foods faces the significant challenge of scaling bioreactor production to commercially competitive costs. While regulatory approval is secured, food scientists estimate that cost parity with conventional chicken will require several additional years of manufacturing innovation. The company is widely regarded as the most technically advanced cultivated meat player in the US.