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What does a $10k cultivated meat dumpling taste like?

Pretty great.

But honestly, that’s not the point.

The real story is how fast that price is free-falling, and what that unlocks for real food on real plates. In this episode, we sit down with Magic Valley CEO Paul Bevan to get past the headlines and into the gritty, resilient work of building a cultivated meat company in Australia.

We kick off with culture, because tech is easy compared to humans. Paul shares why hiring for outcomes over optics is essential, and how the best interns don’t wait for job descriptions; they earn them by solving obvious problems early.

From there, we dig into the power of storytelling and marketing, especially when you don’t have a product yet. In emerging categories, education is the product. Media isn’t vanity, it’s scaffolding. It is how you build trust with investors, regulators and supply chain partners.

Then we talk money. Mission-aligned angels, smaller VCs who understand timelines, matched grants like the Industry Growth Program, and making the most of Australia’s R&D Tax Incentive. We touch on why crowdfunding works best when you already have a crowd, and why disciplined runway beats hype every time.

And the plot twist? The economics are finally shifting. Food-grade suppliers are undercutting pharma, bioreactors once costing millions are dropping into six-figure territory, and culture media is falling fast with a credible path to one dollar a litre. Add FSANZ’s dedicated cellular agriculture pathway, and the route to viable products looks far more concrete than the doom-scrolling suggests.

If you’re into cultivated meat, future-fit food systems or the art of founder survival in tough markets (with integrity, clarity and a dash of cheek), this episode is for you.

Hit subscribe, share with a friend who geeks out on food tech, and drop us your biggest question.

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This experimental and emergent podcast will continue adapting and evolving in response to our ever-changing environment and the community we support. If there are any topics you'd like us to cover, folks you'd like us to bring onto the show, or live events you feel would benefit the ecosystem, drop us a line at [email protected].
We're working on and supporting a range of community-led, impact-oriented initiatives spanning conservation, bioremediation, synthetic biology, biomaterials, and systems innovation.
If you have an idea that has the potential to support the thriving of people and the planet, get in contact! We'd love to help you bring your bio-led idea to life.
Otherwise, join our online community of innovators and change-makers via this link.