Catching up with Tasneem Karodia, co-founder & COO, Newform Foods.
The last few months have been a whirlwind for us here at Newform Foods. Between travel plans, events, appearances, magazine covers, and award shows, it’s been an incredible period of growth.
We recently caught up with our co-founder, Tasneem Karodia, to chat about some of the highlights and what’s next.
2024 has been an amazing year of growth and we’re only in July! What have been some of the highlights for you so far?
Two key things stand out:
- Meeting many of our partners and key stakeholders in the UK after we officially registered there was a momentous experience. There were many hours spent with lawyers making sure everything worked out, but the trip this time was so much more rewarding.
- Being recognised in Forbes Africa, for doing something you love was a wonderful achievement. Being able to share our story was exciting, and, and it has been great to see the reach, far and wide.
After becoming an international company, Newform Foods officially joined Cellular Agriculture Europe. How did this come about and what are the implications for the company?
Since starting this business, we have always been strategic about building our networks in the ecosystem. As a player originally focused in Africa, where the ecosystem is small, we started developing an international network. It has been great to see how that network is growing. Now that we’re in the UK, we were able to formally join CellAg Europe. We’re excited to be part of an organisation that has shared values and an interest in furthering cultivated meat. We now have resources and a broader network to continue to build our business.
What has the reception been towards the company while networking abroad?
It has been really positive! This has been in the works for a while now, so for some people it is not a huge surprise, but it definitely has given us an opportunity to expand our reach.
What are you hoping to achieve for the rest of 2024?
We have a lot of exciting plans in the pipeline — we’re hoping for more exciting tasting events and continued progress on innovation.
The industry is in a really challenging yet exciting time in its lifecycle. What do you think the future will bring?
I think we are going to see some interesting applications of this technology and innovations coming from not just Newform Foods, but other companies as well. With the advancement of AI and machine learning, I see companies trying to accelerate these applications and hopefully getting this into end consumers' hands.
Congratulations on your recent nomination in the Global Startup Awards Africa in the ‘Women in Tech’ category! What advice would you give to other women wanting to make an impact in the space?
The space has grown so much in the last few years and there are numerous opportunities available for women interested in making an impact in the space. I would say don’t overthink it. There is an opportunity out there for you — the key is to get started!
