Founder Profile: Eitan Fischer | Mission Barns
Today we chat with Eitan Fischer, founder and CEO of Mission Barns. He shares more about the company he’s leading, as well as his advice on the importance of hiring. This story has been lightly edited for clarity.
Who: Eitan Fischer
Location: San Francisco, CA
Company: Mission Barns
Stage: Series B
One-liner: Cultivated meat company producing sustainable animal fat
Mission Barns, founded in 2018, is making significant strides in the alternative meat sector with its cultivated fat technology. The company aims to produce animal fat without the need for raising live animals, using a cultivator to grow real, pure animal fat from a small number of pork, poultry, or beef cells. This innovative approach allows Mission Barns to create animal fat that replicates the mouthfeel and flavor of traditional meat while reducing the environmental impact associated with conventional animal agriculture. By incorporating this fat into plant-based meat products, Mission Barns is addressing the flavor, texture, and meatiness concerns commonly cited by consumers, positioning themselves as a game-changer in the alternative meat sector.
Eitan Fischer’s background is rooted in the field of cellular agriculture and food innovation. He grew up around animal agriculture in both Israel and the United States, where he moved as a teen. Prior to founding Mission Barns in 2018, Fischer served as the director of cellular agriculture for Eat Just (formerly known as Hampton Creek), where he worked on developing prototypes of cultivated chicken and foie gras. With a focus on finding areas within cellular agriculture that were not yet explored, Fischer identified animal fat as a crucial component missing from plant-based products. Recognizing the potential of fat cells to grow quickly and efficiently, he believed that cultivating fat could lead to significant advancements in the plant-based meat industry. Fischer’s vision for Mission Barns centers around providing consumers with meat alternatives that replicate the taste and experience of traditional meat while addressing concerns related to sustainability, animal welfare, and public health. Through the cultivation of animal fat without the need for live animals, Fischer aims to revolutionize the global food system and offer a viable solution to the challenges posed by conventional meat production.
Introduce yourself!
Eitan Fischer is the CEO & Founder of Mission Barns. Previously, Eitan led the cultivated meat division at Eat Just. Eitan grew up in Israel, and holds degrees from Yale and Stanford Universities. Outside of work, Eitan enjoys playing piano.
Why did you start your company?
Current industrial animal agriculture through factory farming is a major contributor to some of the biggest issues we face around sustainability, animal welfare, public health, and food security.
When looking for viable alternative products to conventional meat, speaking with chefs, food companies, and consumers all pointed to a big missing piece in alternative options today — juiciness and flavor.
Real animal fat — made in a better way through cultivation — is the solution. Fat is easier and cheaper to cultivate than other cuts of meat — and enables us to get to scale sooner with products that taste great while solving the issues with conventional meat production.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for other founders?
Hire highly-trusted people early who can support you by taking entire areas off your plate.
