PIPA, The AI Leader For R&D Innovation Accelerates Growth with Addition of John Melo as CEO

With the appointment of John Melo as CEO, PIPA advances its mission to transform the world of food and health through Artificial Intelligence. Melo will begin as PIPA CEO on November 6, 2023.

DAVIS, Calif., Nov. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PIPA, the leading AI company for transforming the productivity of innovation in science, sustainability, and healthier nutrition is thrilled to announce the addition of John Melo as CEO. Melo is joining Ilias Tagkopoulos, Ph.D., one of the world's foremost experts in computational science and AI, and the founder of PIPA.

PIPA is on a mission to revolutionize global nutrition and sustainability by helping its partners develop breakthrough ingredients and formulations that deliver the best nutrition to plants, animals, and humans, all while reducing the ecological footprint. From the dairy and animal feed industries to food ingredients and novel protein sources, PIPA accelerates innovation by placing AI at the center of R&D throughout the discovery and manufacturing cycle. With a growing presence for more than 8 years, PIPA stands as one of the few innovative, self-funded, and profitable AI companies in the sector.

John Melo has been a trailblazer in the realm of Synthetic Biology. With over 25 years of leadership experience in sustainable innovations, his journey has been marked by numerous breakthroughs in Biotechnology, including high-throughput screening for bioengineering, robotics, and the development of AI-driven automated scientists at industrial scale. These advancements, coupled with an exceptional team of scientists, have led to an 500% boost in R&D productivity and a 90% reduction in time to market for sustainable ingredients over the past decade. Prior to this, Melo held the role of Chief Information Officer of the BP downstream business, which is one of the largest global manufacturing, marketing, and supply chain networks. 

"I'm very pleased to join Ilias and the excellent team he's built to scale PIPA and help companies accelerate the transition to a healthier and more sustainable future", Melo said. "Ilias thought leadership and the track record of PIPA in identifying the best route to market, delivering uncompromised formulations, and unveiling remarkable new ingredients will fuel innovation across many industries working to make a better and more sustainable future for all."

Tagkopoulos added, "Every so often, the universe conspires to bring together uncommon collaborators with a shared mindset and mission. This is when sparks fly, and magic happens. We feel blessed to join forces with John, who has been a pioneer and brilliant leader in bringing AI to the forefront of biotechnology at an industrial scale. When it comes to our approach to health, nutrition, and sustainability, we are at a precipice of transformation that will be spearheaded by AI, data, and people with a prescient vision of what the world could be. John has shown time and again that he is one such person."

The fusion of Ilias, Melo, and the world-class PIPA team equipped with its foundational AI technology is poised to drive remarkable productivity improvements and drastically reduce time-to-market for innovations dedicated to enhancing food, nutrition, and biomanufacturing solutions. PIPA remains committed to delivering robust, profitable growth and accelerating the journey towards a healthier society and planet for the next generation.

Join us at pipacorp.com on our path to innovation and sustainability as we continue to shape a brighter tomorrow.

Contact: [email protected]

About PIPA

PIPA is an Artificial Intelligence company established in 2015 in California. Its mission is to accelerate discovery and innovation in the food, nutrition, and health space by embedding AI in core processes, from R&D through manufacturing and commercialization. Over the years, PIPA has partnered with CPG, ingredient, and life science companies on dozens of projects to bring speed, accuracy, and scale to R&D cycles. Learn more about us at pipacorp.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

SOURCE PIPA