Rethinking the future of protein
with MycoSure
Food security, sustainability, and scalable production are no longer niche conversations. They are becoming central business questions. In this episode of Meet the Management, Tabitha speaks with Charles Reed and Greg Brown of MycoSure about what it takes to build a company at the intersection of biotechnology, sustainability, and commercial food innovation.
MycoSure positions itself as an African biomanufacturing business using mycelium technology to create natural, bio-based products.
Across its public materials, the company describes its work as part of a broader effort to develop healthier, more sustainable, and more regenerative alternatives, including high-quality protein ingredients produced through biomass fermentation. This conversation explores the thinking behind that mission. Rather than treating food innovation as an abstract future trend, the episode points toward something more grounded: how science-led businesses are trying to solve practical problems in the food system, and what it means to build credible, scalable solutions in South Africa. That framing aligns with MycoSure’s own recent commentary on protein innovation, commercialisation, and building resilient food systems.
About the guests
Charles Reed is the co-founder and CEO of MycoSure. On the company’s team page, he is described as leading MycoSure’s strategic vision, with experience spanning financial services, impact investing, small business development, and socio-economic development. MycoSure also notes that he serves as a board member of Enactus South Africa.
Greg Brown is the co-founder and COO of MycoSure. According to the company, he oversees commercial and operational aspects of the business and brings executive-level experience from a high-growth technology environment. MycoSure describes him as focused on leveraging technology for positive impact, with an MBA from the University of Cape Town.
Together, they represent both the strategic and operational sides of the business, which makes this episode especially valuable. It is not only a conversation about an idea, but about what it takes to move that idea toward market relevance.
Why this conversation matters
The future of food is often framed in extremes, either as a breakthrough story or a climate story. What makes this conversation more interesting is that it appears to sit in the middle of those narratives. It is about innovation, but also about commercial reality. It is about sustainability, but also about production, partnerships, and scale. MycoSure’s recent public updates repeatedly tie its work to food security, resilient supply systems, and the need for affordable, scalable protein alternatives.
That makes this episode relevant not only to food and biotech audiences, but also to investors, operators, and business leaders interested in how new ventures are turning complex global challenges into commercially viable opportunities.
In this episode
This is a conversation about where innovation meets execution. It looks at the bigger opportunity behind alternative protein, the role of science-led entrepreneurship, and the realities of building something ambitious in a sector that is still taking shape. The company’s public materials suggest a business focused on long-term relevance, from proof of concept through to product application and commercial scale.
Watch the full episode to hear Charles Reed and Greg Brown unpack the thinking behind MycoSure, the promise of mycelium-based innovation, and what a more sustainable food future could look like in practice.
About MycoSure
MycoSure’s work centres on mycelium, which the company explains as the root structure of fungi. On its science page, it describes mycelium as a powerful natural recycler with significant nutritional and production potential. The company’s production process includes growing biomass through fermentation and then processing it into a protein-dense powderfor use as a food ingredient.
That matters because MycoSure is not simply talking about sustainability in broad terms. It is building a business around the practical application of biotechnology in food production. Recent company updates say MycoSure has completed a proof of concept, is producing market samples, is working with food and beverage partners on applications, and is progressing toward a first commercial production facility in South Africa.
