Discover VitalMeat
Meet VitalMeat, meet the team
Our story
Our story is about seizing opportunities!
Once upon a time, Fred Grimaud, a French serial-entrepreneur within the agri and biotech sectors, was trying to step back and think about the future.
He had this vision of transferring proven technologies from his current businesses to the food market.
He asked a scientist to explore his new idea…. and a few month later, with his friend Etienne Duthoit, they tasted the very first samples of cultivated chicken.
“OH MY!” the sample was so close in taste to real chicken! They agreed right away to create a company -VitalMeat- that would be a tech platform for any cultivated product.
Our ambition for the future
Become the biotech-platform leader for cultivated products.
Our ambition is deeply rooted in our mission to help reverse climate change.
The meat demand is rising and we want to propose cultivated alternatives for every type of meat and seafood, starting with chicken.
Our VitalChicken
Made for every taste.
Taste can make or break a product’s success, and that’s where VitalMeat’s Chicken comes in – bringing the rich, authentic taste of chicken along with its essential proteins.
Our VitalChicken is an ingredient for food companies, who can seamlessly integrate VitalMeat’s innovation into their own product lines.
Whether it’s a nugget, a chicken soup or gyoza this ingredient ensures a satisfying and delicious experience, giving future generations more options for healthy and sustainable protein.
Meet the team
Etienne Duthoit
CEO & Founder of VitalMeat
A finance guy who’s not afraid to dive into science. Our fearless optimist—he doesn’t just believe it’s possible, he makes it happen.
Olivia de Talancé
COO
Food engineer with experience in both traditional food industries and in biotech start-ups in 6 countries! Nothing is impossible when it comes to her!
Séverine Danet
Senior cell culture engineer
Cell line creation and banking expert. Employee #1 at VitalMeat. Precision is her superpower.
Claude Rescan
Principal scientist – PhD
Media cost reduction and regulatory expert. Can zoom in or out with ease. A catalyst for good energy
Geoffrey Blanc
Head of R&D
Extensive experience in cell culture production for pharma. Leads the Vital team with trust —sets the goals, lets the people build the way there.
Marie Dubois
Junior cell culture engineer
Joined as an intern and now key to assay execution and data analysis. Knows our cells inside out. Methodical and sharp—ideal for cell culture!
Manon Calais Yager
Bioprocess engineer
Leads production and scale-up at our pilot site. With her manufacturing mindset and love for efficiency, she’s always streamlining operations.
Laurent Zablocki-Thomas
Cell biologist – PhD
Specialist in overcoming cell growth barriers through rigorous testing. A powerhouse of ideas—and our resident geek when it comes to scientific deep dives!
Emmanuelle Desnots
Senior bioprocess technician
Brings many years of biopharma experience. Energetic and solution-driven, she thrives on process debugging and smart improvements.
Julian Gonzalez
Bioprocess technician
Microbiologist with hands-on experience. A methodical mind who tackles challenges step by step—and reliably delivers kilos of VitalChicken.