Sean Edgett, Twitter’s former general counsel, has taken up the reins as the first chief legal officer at Upside Foods, a pioneering firm in lab-cultivated meat. Known for crafting “no kill” meat products, the Berkeley, California tech-unicorn specializes in producing only the edible parts of livestock – chickens, pigs, and cows.
The appointment coincides with several significant achievements for Upside Foods. The eight-year-old start-up recently achieved two industry firsts: the successful sale of cultivated chicken meat and obtaining nationwide regulatory permission for the same in the United States. This makes Upside Foods the first-ever company to sell cultivated “no kill” meat across the U.S with official FDA approval.
Edgett’s ousting from Twitter wasn’t without its own high-profile drama. He was fired by Elon Musk almost immediately after Musk finished acquiring the social media giant for $44 billion, a purchase Edgett had helped facilitate. Details about the dramatic turn of events that led to both Edgett and Twitter’s Chief Legal Officer, Vijaya Gadde, being dismissed by Musk can be found on the web.
Edgett brings with him a solid history of legal experience spanning two decades. Ten of these years were spent at Twitter where he worked as general counsel for the last four. His previous roles also include work as a legal director at NetApp and attorney roles at Latham & Watkins and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.
Edgett was reportedly drawn to Upside Foods due to its ‘incredible people’, unique challenges and its planet-friendly mission. He sees his role as an opportunity to help build a food system that is innovative and sustainable.
Upside Foods’ CEO, Uma Valeti, praised Edgett’s expertise in business complexities as an asset for the company. Valeti believes that expanding their executive team with such talent will accelerate their mission of making the food system more humane and sustainable.
Since its inception, Upside Foods has successfully raised $598 million across eight funding rounds and reached a significant milestone in 2022 of exceeding a $1 billion valuation, earning the company its ‘unicorn’ status.
For more detailed information, readers can refer to the original article that this summary was based on.