ORF Genetics is an innovative plant biotechnology company and a pioneer in developing and manufacturing high-quality recombinant proteins, growth factors derived from barley plants.

ORF Genetics newest product MESOkine, are animal-like growth factors produced in barley plants for the development of cultured meat and related industries. ​Cultured meat forms part of the emerging field of cellular agriculture. Still an early stage field it seeks to deliver products traditionally made through livestock rearing in novel forms that require no, or significantly reduced, animal involvement. This could bring major changes to the carbon emission that the food industry produces since it’s responsible for about 37 percent of all carbon emissions.

Dr. Örvar is a co-founder of ORF Genetics. He served as the CEO of the company from 2006 to 2013 and the Executive V.P. and Chief Scientific Officer of ORF Genetics since 2013. Dr. Örvar was the Member of the Board of ORF Genetics from 2001 to 2006. He received his Ph.D. in plant molecular genetics in 1997 from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and was a post-doctoral fellow at McGill University, Montréal for three years, focusing on plant cell stress signalling. Dr. Örvar is responsible for research and innovation within the company as well as being the international spokesperson for ORFs skincare brand, BIOEFFECT.

Dr. Örvar will be one of our keynote speakers at Startup Iceland 2022 at Harpa Conference Hall on June 3rd.