AI-generated summary
The journey of cultured meat began in 2013 with Mark Post’s creation of the first lab-grown burger, marking a breakthrough in producing meat without raising animals. Since then, the foodtech and cellular agriculture sectors have expanded rapidly, with over 150 companies worldwide by 2022 and investments totaling $2.8 billion. Projections suggest that alternative proteins, including plant-based and cultured meat, could make up 11% of the global market by 2035, driven by pioneers like Israel’s Aleph Farms, the U.S.’s UPSIDE Foods, and the Netherlands’ Mosa Meat. Despite its potential to address critical issues such as population growth, environmental degradation, and animal welfare, cultured meat faces significant challenges, including high production costs, consumer acceptance, and regulatory hurdles. This has led to a 78% drop in investments in 2023, reflecting investor caution as the industry navigates technical and market complexities.
To scale production economically, innovations in cell culture media, bioreactors, and biotechnology are essential. Recent advances, such as genetically engineered cells producing their own growth factors, have significantly reduced costs, bringing cultured meat closer to competitive pricing. Additionally, collaborations between startups and established food companies, along with breakthroughs in scaffolding and serum-free media, are fostering growth. Beyond meat, foodtech innovations include seafood alternatives, lab-grown dairy, and egg substitutes, with startups worldwide exploring diverse protein sources. This evolving landscape holds promise for transforming global food systems towards sustainability and accessibility in the coming decades.
After the first years of enthusiasm, the sector is regulating itself and finding innovative solutions to face new challenges
It was 2013 when the first cultured meat burger made its debut thanks to the vision of Mark Post, professor of vascular physiology at Maastricht University. During an event in London, he and his team announced that producing meat without raising animals was possible, envisioning a future in which cultured meat could be an eco-friendly and sustainable option. Since then, foodtech and cellular agriculture have advanced enormously. In 2015, the first four cultured meat producing companies were founded, and by the end of 2022, the industry had more than 150 companies on six continents, backed by investments of $2.8 billion.
According to Bloomberg, the plant-based alternatives segment could reach $160 billion by 2030, while a report by Boston Consulting Group estimates that alternative proteins, plant-based and cultured, will account for 11% of the global market by 2035. Among the pioneers is an Israeli startup, Aleph Farms, known for its groundbreaking work in growing meat from non-GMO cells. In recent years, the American UPSIDE Foods has also made significant progress in the production of cultured chicken, as has the Dutch Mosa Meat. In particular, these two companies have achieved significant goals in reducing costs, a critical factor for the industry’s scalability and accessibility.
In fact, while it is true that cultured meat represents hope for addressing global challenges such as population growth, deforestation, biodiversity loss , and ethical concerns related to animal slaughter, there are still several technical hurdles to be addressed.
Steps to scale production
It is not surprising, therefore, that in 2023 there was a significant decrease in financing to cultured meat producing companies, with a 78% drop in investments. This reflects
To be economically sustainable, large-scale production requires innovations in cell culture media and bioreactors. Consumer acceptance is also a challenge, as expectations in terms of taste and texture must be met, and the perception of ‘unnatural’ food must be overcome. Finally, regulations vary from country to country, further complicating global distribution.
However, in the last year, startups such as Uncommon in the United Kingdom and Meatable in the Netherlands have obtained significant investments, demonstrating that interest in innovative technologies persists. Discoveries in the field of biotechnologies, such as the development of serum-free culture media and advances in scaffolding technology, and collaborations between startups and large food companies that could combine innovative techniques and skills of scale, as learned from the Future Trends Forum dedicated to the food challenge of the Bankinter Innovation Foundation.
In line with the new research, scientists from the Tufts University, Massachusetts, succeeded in genetically modifying bovine muscle cells to produce their own growth factors, i.e., the signaling proteins that trigger the proliferation and differentiation of cells into skeletal muscle tissues. Previously, growth factors had to be continuously added to the cell culture medium.
In this way, the team was able to significantly reduce the costs associated with cell culture media. Innovations like this are essential for
In the field of foodtech , there is not only research on synthetic or plant-based meat, but also on other types of proteins such as those from the sea. Among the startups in the sector are: Shiok Meats (shrimp and lobster based in Singapore), Bluu Seafood (salmon, trout and carp, in Germany), BluNalu (tuna, in the United States), Avant Meats from Hong Kong (fish jaws, i.e. the swim bladders of large fish, considered a real delicacy in Asia).
Then there’s San Francisco-based Wildtype, which in recent years has raised $100 million in capital (investors include Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos) to develop “sushi-quality” farmed salmon. And then CellMeat, in South Korea, which is working on the production of lab-grown shrimp, and Israel’s Steakholder Foods, in collaboration with Singapore’s Umami Meats, which has announced the 3D printing of the first ready-to-cook fish fillet, using lab-grown animal cells.
But the options go further. Israel’s Remilk produces milk and dairy products without animals, by fermenting genetically modified yeasts, while Wilk, another Israeli startup, is working on developing milk cultured from mammary epithelial cells. And not only animal milk, but also human milk, with the aim of reproducing breast milk in the laboratory. In the dynamic Israeli foodtech landscape, there is no shortage of startups that develop egg substitutes with the same properties and functionalities: Egg’n’up and Eggmented Reality. A challenge that is certainly difficult, but one that, in the long term, could transform the way humanity manages to feed itself.
