Ranjani Varadan

Ranjani Varadan is a Principal Scientist at Ki Tua Fund, a corporate venture capital firm backed by Fonterra. In her role, Ranjani evaluates and supports investment opportunities across Fonterra’s value chain, from on-farm productivity, emissions reduction, water quality, and animal health, to dairy ingredient processing, food products, and health-focused applications. A key focus of her work includes fermentation-derived ingredients produced via both biomass and precision fermentation, where she engages closely with startups across the US and Europe.

Prior to joining Ki Tua Fund, Ranjani served as Chief Scientific Officer at Shiru, where she led the integration of machine learning, computational biology, and high-throughput wet lab experimentation to discover novel functional proteins. She previously held senior leadership roles including VP of R&D, VP of Strategic Ingredients, and Director of Protein Discovery at Impossible Foods, where she played a pivotal role in advancing alternative protein science from discovery through commercialization.

Ranjani brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise, venture evaluation experience, and industry-scale perspective, making her a trusted voice on the scientific, economic, and strategic realities shaping the future of fermentation-enabled food systems.