# Live Episode! Beyond Meat: Ethan Brown

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2017-02-16
- Length: 25m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-02-16-live-episode-beyond-meat-ethan-brown

## Summary

Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, explains how he transitioned from a career in hydrogen fuel cells to creating plant-based meat products using pea and lentil protein. He details the early challenges of funding the venture by selling his home, importing textured soy protein from Taiwan, and collaborating with University of Missouri researchers to develop extrusion technology. Brown discusses the company's evolution from a garage startup to scaling production in dedicated facilities, aiming to make plant-based meat indistinguishable from animal meat in taste and texture.

## Chapters

- [0:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-02-16-live-episode-beyond-meat-ethan-brown#t=54) Introduction: Ethan Brown and Beyond Meat
- [2:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-02-16-live-episode-beyond-meat-ethan-brown#t=171) Brown's Background and Motivation
- [11:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-02-16-live-episode-beyond-meat-ethan-brown#t=708) Early R&D and Importing Soy Protein
- [18:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-02-16-live-episode-beyond-meat-ethan-brown#t=1125) Funding the Startup and Early Investors
- [19:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-02-16-live-episode-beyond-meat-ethan-brown#t=1197) Product Development and Scaling Production

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Beyond Meat (company)
- University of Missouri (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Kleiner Perkins (company)
- Beast Burger (product)
- Beyond Burger (product)

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- [#137 Plant-Based Dumpling Kings: Eric Wu and Adam Yee, Sobo Foods](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-04-09-137-plant-based-dumpling-kings-eric-wu-and-adam-yee-sobo-foods) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Samantha Edwards of New Breed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-09-27-founder-feature-samantha-edwards-of-new-breed) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Sashi Kumar, Brittney Lim, and Jim Giberson of Tamarind Heads](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-09-20-founder-feature-sashi-kumar-brittney-lim-and-jim-giberson-of-tamarind-heads) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Meet the Bone Broth Protein Bar with 20g Protein & No Protein Powder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-08-21-meet-the-bone-broth-protein-bar-with-20g-protein-no-protein-powder) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

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