Ivy Farm appoints food tech finance expert amid investment plans
Kokov, who joins from Barclays’ Investment Banking Division, has been given a newly created position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
At Barclays, he was a director in the bank’s technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) investment banking division. He led coverage of the Europe, Middle East and Africa consumer internet sector for the bank, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital raising transactions.
Worked with Gousto and Just Eat
He has worked with food technology companies such as Gousto, Oda, Delivery Hero, Just Eat Takeaway, Everli and Hungry Panda.
Prior to Barclays he worked in similar technology investment banking roles at Goldman Sachs, Société General and earlier in his career worked as an auditor at KPMG and finance manager in Mail.Ru Group.
Kokov will be tasked with working closely with Ivy Farm chief executive Rich Dillon as the company ramps up its ambitious funding plans. He has also been briefed to explore new commercial partnerships and joint ventures, building on a recently announced tie-up with sausage maker Heck.
New research facility
Joining as Ivy Farm completes its move into a new, multi-million-pound research facility just outside of its current Oxford base, he said: “I’ve loved my career in investment banking, but there came a point where I wanted to be more than an advisor.
"I wanted to help build something tangible with real positive impact on the world. Cultivated meat will change the way we consume meat and help solve the enormous global challenge of feeding people in a sustainable way.”
Ivy Farm CEO Rich Dillon said: “Azamat adds real firepower to Ivy Farm’s senior team. Specialist investment expertise is exactly what we need to realise our goal of making Ivy Farm a world leader in the cultivated meat category.”
