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Uma Valeti, UPSIDE CEO, Among the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs at 2026 Builders and Innovators Summit
Today, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is recognizing UPSIDE Foods CEO Uma Valeti, M.D., as one of the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2026 at its Builders and Innovators Summit in Healdsburg, California.
Goldman Sachs selected Valeti from multiple industries to be honored at the two-day event.
Uma Valeti founded UPSIDE Foods because he loved meat but couldn't reconcile it with the animal suffering involved in producing it. That dilemma launched a decade of innovation in cellular agriculture. What began as an audacious idea to grow real meat directly from animal cells has become an American food technology company driving breakthroughs in science, engineering and advanced manufacturing. Today, UPSIDE is pioneering a new way to make real meat without slaughter, expanding consumer choice, strengthening food security, and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs to see food and agriculture as exciting frontiers for innovation.
"I started UPSIDE because I love meat and believed we could make it without killing animals," said Uma Valeti, M.D., Founder and CEO of UPSIDE Foods. "A decade later, we've proven the science, and now we're bringing it to scale through American ingenuity and manufacturing. But our ambition goes well beyond one product. The world needs more ways to produce great food, not fewer. I'm incredibly proud of our team and what we're building to give people more choice and help create a stronger, more resilient food system.
"We are pleased to recognize Uma Valeti as one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs of 2026," said David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. "As AI reshapes the global landscape, the leaders at UPSIDE Foods are proving that agility and vision can be the ultimate competitive advantages. They are not simply building a great enterprise; they are redefining what is possible in their industry."
In its 15th year, Goldman Sachs' Builders and Innovators Summit is the can't miss gathering for Founders and CEOs of hypergrowth companies. Previous honorees have gone on to successfully lead multi-billion dollar companies, both in the private and public markets. In addition to honoring the most exceptional entrepreneurs each year, the Summit consists of general sessions and clinics led by seasoned entrepreneurs, academics and business leaders as well as resident scholars.
About Uma Valeti, M.D.
Valeti is a cardiologist by training, but an entrepreneur at heart. During his cardiology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, he was using patients' stem cells to regenerate damaged heart tissue when he had a lightbulb moment. What if he could use a similar approach and grow real meat from animal cells without killing animals? After proving the science was possible over the following years, Uma left his cardiology practice to found the world's first cultivated meat company (UPSIDE Foods) and pioneer a new industry with one mission in mind: make meat right.
About UPSIDE Foods
UPSIDE Foods is the world's first cultivated meat company, founded in 2015 with a bold ambition: to give everyone the choice to eat real meat without killing animals. Rethinking meat from the source, the team pioneered advanced methods for growing real meat directly from animal cells. Its Chicken Filet was the first cultivated meat product green-lit by both the FDA and the USDA and made available for sale in the U.S. The company has raised more than $600 million from a diverse portfolio of investors including Cargill, Softbank, Temasek, Tyson and Whole Foods. For more information about how UPSIDE is on a mission to make meat right and build a more sustainable and scalable food system through cellular agriculture, please visit www.upsidefoods.com.
About Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs is a leading global financial institution that delivers a broad range of financial services to a large and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world.
Press related questions about UPSIDE, please contact Erin Santy at media@upsidefoods.com.
Press related questions about the Summit or Goldman Sachs, please contact Michael Bruen at Michael.Bruen@gs.com.
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SOURCE UPSIDE Foods
