Goldman Sachs Honors UPSIDE Foods CEO Valeti as Top Entrepreneur
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Emeryville – October 14, 2026 -- Goldman Sachs named UPSIDE Foods CEO Uma Valeti, M.D., one of its Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2026 at the Builders and Innovators Summit in Healdsburg, California. The bank selected Valeti from multiple industries for the honor.
UPSIDE Foods has raised more than $600 million since its 2015 founding
Valeti, a cardiologist who worked on stem-cell heart tissue regeneration during a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, left clinical practice to found what the company calls the world's first cultivated meat company. UPSIDE's Chicken Filet was the first cultivated meat product cleared by both the FDA and the USDA for sale in the U.S.
Investors include Cargill, Softbank, Temasek, Tyson and Whole Foods.