Uma Valeti

Dr. Uma Valeti is a cardiologist and the CEO and cofounder of clean meat company Upside Foods (formerly known as Memphis Meats). He is also an adjunct professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and serves on the advisory council of the Good Food Institute.

Dr. Uma Valeti presents at EAT Stockholm Food Forum 2017

Uma Valeti cofounded Upside Foods, originally named Memphis Meats, in 2015 in San Francisco with Nicholas Genovese and Will Clem. The company produces meat directly from animal cells without the need to raise and slaughter animals.

Valeti became concerned about food-borne illnesses from eating meat and contamination issues in slaughterhouses. Additionally, as a cardiologist, he wanted to improve people's health. "I got into cardiology because I wanted to positively impact human health. I see my role at Memphis Meats as an extension of that mission – I get to play a larger role in improving our food system from a public health perspective," stated Uma Velati. In 2005, during his practice in interventional cardiology at Mayo Clinic, they had a study on repairing muscle tissue of the heart with stem cells. He realized then that stem cells can be used to grow animal muscle tissue or meat as well.

Valeti grew up in Vijayawada, India. His father was a veterinarian and his mother was a physics teacher. He went to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research. He had his residency for internal medicine at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and State University of New York College at Buffalo. Dr. Valeti earned a fellowship in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology at the Mayo School of Health Sciences.