The talk that started it all.
In the 1960s, NASA scientists discovered that ancient microorganisms could convert air into nutrition — a breakthrough that was shelved when the space program changed direction. Decades later, Lisa took that forgotten science to the TED stage and asked a simple question: what if we finished what NASA started? More than 1.5 million people watched. Then she went and built it.
What if ancient organisms could feed the world? Over 1.5 million views later, the answer is Air Harvest.
One science. One platform.
Air Harvest is the consolidated form of a decade of science. It started with Kiverdi, founded in 2011 as an R&D platform built to solve the toughest challenges in global nutrition and industrial biology. In 2019, Kiverdi spun out Air Protein to capture the growing demand for alternative protein. In 2026, the two companies came back together as Air Harvest — combining Air Protein's commercial traction with Kiverdi's IP estate. Air Harvest is the company. Air Protein™ is the first ingredient. The next chapter starts here.
The scientists behind the platform.
Lisa Dyson, PhD
Co-founder & CEO
A physicist by training, entrepreneur by conviction. Lisa has spent over a decade building the science, the company, and the partnerships behind air-based protein. She holds a PhD in physics from MIT and was a Fulbright Scholar at Imperial College London, with research roles at Stanford, UC Berkeley, Princeton, UCSF, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Before founding Kiverdi, she was a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. Named to Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, Inc. Magazine's Top 100 Female Founders, and Bloomberg's New Economy Catalysts. A frequent speaker at the Aspen Ideas Festival, World Economic Forum, and Stanford University.
Dr. John Reed
Co-founder
A materials scientist and inventor with 20+ years of experience in clean energy and carbon-transformation technology. John holds an SM and PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT, with prior degrees in Biology and Materials Science from UC Berkeley. He is the co-inventor of the Elemental Fermentation process and holds dozens of patents covering the organisms, the process, and the outputs that power the platform today. One of the world's leading experts on air-based protein production.
Board members.
Ori Sasson
Director
Founding General Partner of Primera Capital and a serial technology entrepreneur. Ori co-founded Scopus Technology, which IPO'd and merged with Siebel Systems to create what was then the second-largest applications company in the world. He has chaired and founded pioneering companies across wireless, logistics, and managed services, and serves on the boards of several technology and life sciences companies. He has been a director of Air Harvest's predecessor entities since 2021.
Maisie Ganzler
Director
Author, speaker, and one of the food industry's most respected voices on supply-chain transformation. As former Chief Strategy and Brand Officer at Bon Appétit Management Company — a $1.7 billion food service leader serving more than 250 million meals a year — Maisie spent three decades shaping how premium food brands source, scale, and lead. She is the author of "You Can't Market Manure at Lunchtime" and serves on multiple food and policy boards.
From a question to a platform.
Kiverdi founded. The scientific and IP foundation begins.
Key patents filed for food made from air using microorganisms.
Air Protein founded. First air-based protein produced.
Named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.
Pilot plant launches. Selected by DARPA — U.S. Department of Defense — to develop on-demand nutrition from air. Strategic partnership signed with ADM.
Named America's #1 FoodTech Company by TIME and Statista.
First Fortune 500 commitments signed. The stage is set for commercial launch.
Air Protein and Kiverdi consolidate as Air Harvest. The commercial platform launches.
The next chapter is being written now.
Air Protein™ is available today. Air Fiber™, Air Bioactives™, and more are coming. If you want to be part of what's next — let's talk.
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