Mewery Meat

Czech-based Mewery Meat harvests cultivated pork meat by growing pork cells in its proprietary “cultivator” bioreactors, using pork stem cells and microalgae-based growth media, which claims to reduce cultivation-related costs by 70%. In October 2022, Mewery Meat announced it had proven the feasibility of its microalgae-based growth medium for growing mammalian cells without the use of fetal bovine serum (FBS).  According to the company, its technology uses 95% less land, 78% less water, and emits 92% less carbon emissions to produce 1 kg of cultivated pork.

Mewery Meats’ product pipeline includes cultivated pork meatballs, sausages, tenderloin, and ground pork. The company aimed to become a leader in cultivated pork products in Europe and supply its products for foodservice establishments and grocery stores by 2025, pending regulatory approval. In February 2023, Mewery Meats unveiled the first prototype of cultivated meat made using a hybrid culture medium and microalgae extract, consisting of 75% pork and 25% microalgae cells. Later, in June 2023, the company debuted what it claims to be the first cultivated burger made with pork and microalgae cells. 

Funding and financials

In May 2022, the company received an investment (amount undisclosed) from Big Idea Ventures, a US-based accelerator, becoming the first Czech company to be backed by the latter. Further, in January 2024, it was awarded a EUR 200,000 (~USD 216,900) non-dilutive grant by the Czech Government via CzechInvest Technological Incubator. The grant funding was to be utilized for conducting in-depth studies to enhance the efficiency of its platform in preparation for future expansion.