Nutreco

Making meat sustainable over the long term

Cell-cultured Meat

Mosa Meat is a Dutch cell-cultured meat startup founded by Dr. Mark Post of Maastricht University, and was the first-ever company to produce a lab-grown meat burger. The startup produces meat by growing myosatellite cells (muscle stem cells) extracted from an animal in a bioreactor fed with a nutrient-dense medium.The company replaced the fetal bovine serum (FBS) from its growth medium in July 2020, which led to an 88x cost reduction in its medium. As of March 2024, Mosa Meat operated the Center for Advanced Meat Production, Upscaling, and Sustainability (CAMPUS), a facility spanning over 79,000 sq ft that was designed to be expandable as demand grows.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21645">September 2023</a>, Mosa Meat became the first cultivated meat company to attain B Corp certification. The company also announced plans to apply for regulatory approval in countries worldwide. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21645">September 2023</a>, Mosa Meat became the first cultivated meat company to attain B Corp certification. The company also announced plans to apply for regulatory approval in countries worldwide. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/31970">July 2024</a>, it conducted the first official tasting of its cultivated beef product, the Mosa Burger, in the Netherlands. This event gathered Dutch cattle farmers, food product developers, and industry representatives to collect expert feedback.Key customers and partnershipsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14175">November 2022</a>, Mosa Meat entered into an agreement with Singapore-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Esco Aster to commercialize its cultivated beef in Singapore. Further, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16845">March 2023</a>, the company partnered withNutreco to develop a cell feed supply chain that can expedite production and scalability while reducing cost.Funding and financialsIn its latest funding round in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28536">April 2024</a>, the company raised EUR 40 million (~USD 42.5 million) in an oversubscribed funding round co-led by Lowercarbon Capital and M Ventures, with participation from PHW Group, Invest-NL, LIOF, and LEF. The funds were earmarked for scaling production procedures, reducing production costs, and gearing up for commercialization.

lueNalu is a startup developing cultured seafood using fish cells. The company grows the cells isolated from the fish tissue in a bioreactor with culture media and assembles them into fish products. In December 2019, the startup hosted a culinary demo of its cultured yellowtail. In<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13555"> October 2022</a>, Blue Nalu announced two new technological breakthroughs–single-cell suspension and lipid-loading–which would enable highly scaled production of cultivated seafood. Further, the company plans to begin operations at its commercial facility–equipped with eight 100,000-liter bioreactors and an annual capacity of 6 million pounds of cultured seafood–in 2027.In February 2024, BlueNalu became the first cultivated seafood company to join the National Fisheries Institute, the trade association for the US seafood industry.Key partnerships and customersAs one of its go-to-market strategies and to accelerate the commercialization of cell-cultured meat, BlueNalu has entered into partnerships with several food manufacturers. The startup has<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22423"> partnered</a> with Mitsubishi Corporation, Thai Union, Pulmuone, and Food &amp; Life Companies to focus on the Asia-Pacific region, while the<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/5473"> partnership</a> with Nomad Foods focuses on Europe. Under each partnership, the companies will collaboratively conduct market research on consumer insights in the regions, examine regulatory frameworks, and explore opportunities to accelerate the launch of BlueNalu’s cultivated seafood products across the regions.In<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17063"> March 2023</a>, BlueNalu extended its partnership with Nutreco to establish a cell feed supply chain for cultivated seafood. The partnership will entail initiatives to reduce cell feed costs by moving from a pharma-grade to a food-grade ingredient supply. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23369">November 2023</a>, BlueNalu signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NEOM, a futuristic city in northwest Saudi Arabia that follows sustainability practices, to commercialize and distribute cultivated seafood products and enhance food security.Funding and financialsIn its latest funding round in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22541">October 2023</a>, BlueNalu raised USD 33.5 million in series B funding with participation from Agronomics and other new and existing investors. Specific uses of the funds were not disclosed.

Roslin Technologies is a Scottish biotechnology company established as a joint venture between the University of Edinburgh and two impact-focused investment partners. It was formed to commercialize research from the Roslin Institute and the Royal School of Veterinary Studies. The company specializes in animal stem cells, focusing on the production of primary cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from farm animals for both academic research and farmed meat production. In addition to its work with the Roslin Institute, the company works closely with other academic and commercial organizations to advance its offerings and mission. In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13756">October 2022</a>, the company achieved a breakthrough in scaling up the production of cultured pork, resulting in a 61% reduction in production costs.Funding and FinancialsIn its latest funding round, in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14266">November 2022</a>, the company raised GBP 11 million (~USD 12 million) in a Series A funding round led by Novo Holdings. The funding was expected to support the company expand its cell-line portfolio and further develop protocols for scaling up cells into cost-effective cell biomass for meat production.

Driving livestock productivity using next-generation biotechnology

Livestock Biotech

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 Proteon Pharmaceuticals is a Polish biotechnology company specializing in developing bacteriophage-based solutions. The company leverages its patented phage-platform technology to develop products targeting the livestock farming and aquaculture sectors. Moreover, it has operations in four continents and holds numerous international patents.
 
 
 
 
 Proteon offers a portfolio of four commercialized products (BAFCOL, BAFASAL+G, BFASAL, and BAFADOR) with an additional four in the pipeline. These are to modulate the microbiome and offer a natural and effective alternative to traditional antibiotics, focusing on improving on-farm efficiency, sustainability, antimicrobial resistance, and food safety.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 Proteon aims to license out its technology for designing and delivering phage products to production partners.
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 
 
 In August 2021, Proteon Pharmaceuticals raised EUR 21 million (~USD 24.6 million) in funding, led by Nutreco, Aqua-Spark, and PFR Life Science, along with other investors. The funds were earmarked for global product rollouts, new product development, and enhancing production capabilities, focusing on integrating AI tools for advanced phage technology development.
 
 
 
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 BiomEdit, founded in 2022, is a genetic engineering company specializing in microbiome innovation for animal health. This venture is a result of collaboration between Elanco, a global leader in animal health solutions, and Ginkgo Bioworks, a company renowned for its cell programming platform.
 
 
 
 
 BiomEdit uses a high-throughput microbiology platform paired with AI-powered predictive algorithms, which claims to generate new hypotheses with greater probability of success than traditional methods. The company focuses on discovering, designing, and developing novel probiotics, bioactive molecules, and engineered microbial medicines to prevent diseases and promote health and well-being in animals. As of May 2024, its pipeline included eight projects, covering five species.
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 BiomEdit is closely associated with its founding companies, Elanco and Ginkgo Bioworks, leveraging their resources and expertise in its operations.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 In January 2023, the company established a long-term strategic research and commercial partnership with Nutreco to develop next-generation ultra-specialty feed additives called Biome-actives. Furthermore, in October 2023, it partnered with Athian to develop protocols for sustainability outcomes stemming from methane-reducing products in the livestock industry.
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 
 
 BiomEdit launched its Series A funding round in April 2022, which concluded in January 2023 after raising USD 37 million. Additionally, it received a USD 4.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in November 2023 to accelerate the R&amp;D of novel microbiome-based solutions.
 
 
 
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A new wave of meat, fish, and poultry alternatives are driving this hyper-growth industry into the mainstream

Plant-based Meat

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 ENOUGH (formerly 3F Bio) is a spinout of the University of Strathclyde that produces an alternative protein called &ldquo;Abunda&rdquo; mycoprotein by feeding fungi with renewable sugar feedstocks, such as wheat and corn, in a continuous fermentation process. Abunda claims to be taste-neutral and highly nutritious, rich in protein and fiber, and naturally fortified in B12, zinc, and iron. The company markets it as a base ingredient for the production of alternative meats and dairy products.
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13179">
 September 2022
 </a>
 , ENOUGH inaugurated its flagship mycoprotein facility in the Netherlands supported by Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), with EUR 16.9 million (~USD 16.9 million) from European funds aimed at bio-based industries as a part of the Plenitude project. The plant will have a capacity of 10,000 tons of protein initially, which is slated to increase to 50,000 tons by 2027. The company aims to produce more than a million tons of protein by 2032 in the new factory, equivalent to replacing 5 million cows, 1 billion chickens, and 30 million trees.&nbsp;
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In November 2020, Marks &amp; Spencer&lsquo;s food division M&amp;S Food partnered with ENOUGH to incorporate Abunda into its vegan Plant Kitchen range. Later, in May 2021, the company partnered with Unilever, to use Abunda in its alternative meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher.
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26660">
 February 2024
 </a>
 , the company expanded its partnership with global food corporation Cargill. As a part of the expansion, Cargill was to participate in ENOUGH&rsquo;s Series C funding round, co-create alternative proteins using Abunda, and help marketing efforts.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 ENOUGH&rsquo;s latest funding round was in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21149">
 August 2023
 </a>
 , when it raised EUR 40 million (~USD 43.5 million) in funding co-led by World Fund and CPT Capital with participation from existing investors such as AXA IM Alts, HAL Investments, Onassis Group, and others. The funding was intended for doubling the output capacity of the Netherlands production site and increasing its teams across its Glasgow, London, and Sas van Gent offices.
 
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Preserving aquatic life for future generations

Sustainable Aquaculture

ViAqua Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that has developed an orally administered RNA-particle platform to improve disease resistance in aquaculture. Founded in 2014 and based in Haifa, Israel, ViAqua focuses on creating RNA-based solutions to combat major viral diseases affecting global shrimp aquaculture. The company's technology uses a proprietary double-strand RNA (dsRNA) particle encapsulation that triggers an anti-viral RNAi response in shrimp cells to fight and suppress diseases. ViAqua's first product is a feed supplement designed to enhance resistance to viral infections in shrimp, with the initial application targeting White Spot Virus (WSSV). This virus causes annual losses of around USD 3 billion and a 15% reduction in global shrimp production. The company's solution aims to provide production stability for farmers while also creating an opportunity to increase output per farm without increased risk.
ViAqua produces its capsule products using commercial, industrial processes and is scaling up production to take its first product to market. The company plans to begin production in India in early 2024. While currently focused on shrimp production, ViAqua's delivery technology has potential applications in other areas of aquaculture and beyond. The company has already initiated proof of concept for parasitic diseases in shrimp and is working to develop a formulation for fish, including a joint project targeting Scale-Drop Disease Virus (SDDV) in Barramundi. Additionally, ViAqua sees potential for its RNAi technology in poultry and against diseases that affect pollinating bees.
Key customers and partnerships
ViAqua has established a commercial partnership through a joint development and marketing agreement with Skretting, a Nutreco company, to bring its product to market. This collaboration, which began in 2018, aims to develop a functional feed product for the aquaculture market. The partnership leverages Skretting's expertise in aquafeed and its global reach in shrimp markets to effectively deliver ViAqua's solution to farmers.

LAXEY specializes in sustainable land-based aquaculture and the development of fish farming facilities.

ViAqua Therapeutics Ltd develops drugs and therapeutics for aquaculture. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Israel.ViAqua Therapeutics is developing the first orally administered treatment for aquaculture.The Company’s management bring a broad range of business development, technology development, management, and industrial biotech experience.

BiomEdit is an innovation company that discovers, designs, and develops novel probiotics, microbiome derived bioactives, and engineered microbial medicines to address unmet needs in animal health. Our ambition is to create solutions to some of the most important problems in animal agriculture and food security by leveraging the potential of the microbiome.  BiomEdit’s technology is based on a unique platform that utilizes high-throughput sequencing and data analytics to rapidly discover and screen novel probiotic species and bioactive molecules. These can then be engineered to confer thermostability, enhanced production of beneficial metabolites, or expression of immune modulating proteins. These probiotics and microbially-derived compounds represent the next generation of products designed to promote animal health without the use of antibiotics.

Roslin Tech is on a mission to improve protein production through disruptive technologies. Our core capability is in animal stem cells; we have developed the world’s perpetually self-renewing, pluripotent stem cells for animals (iPS cells) which will accelerate the development of cultivated meat for the consumer market.

Stellapps designs dairy management software applications that leverage the power of technology to improve dairy supply chain parameters. The company's applications leverage the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud, mobility and data analytics to improve agri-supply chain parameters, including milk production, milk procurement, cold chain animal insurance and farmer payments, enabling dairy farms, dairy farmers and cooperatives to maximize profits while minimizing effort.

PROTEON uses precision biology for microbiome protection to improve animal and human health, increasing environmental sustainability and eliminating the unnecessary use of antibiotics. We have developed a platform to develop and deliver bacteriophages for animal health solutions. Our pipeline includes solutions to prophylactically improve performance and food safety in poultry, as well as important prevent economically important bacterial diseases in aquaculture and dairy.

Proteon Therapeutics, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company developing pharmaceuticals to address the medical needs of patients with renal and vascular diseases.  The company leverages a unique understanding of tissue remodeling to develop a pipeline of proprietary therapeutics.  Proteon Therapeuticsâ€™ first drug candidate (PRT-201) is in development for the improvement of blood flow following vascular surgery procedures.   The companyâ€™s initial clinical focus is vascular access for hemodialysis and peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

ENOUGH is a technology spin-out company from the University of Strathclyde established to develop and commercialise novel patented technology which transforms the production economics for the meat-free food product mycoprotein by integrating the production within existing bio-refinery operations producing bio-ethanol and animal feed (DDGS). This gives integrated fermentation production of Food, Fuel and Feed. ​

Mosa Meat produces slaughter-free hamburgers. The burger is harvested from cow cells, rather than raising and slaughtering a whole animal. By growing meat naturally from cells, Mosa Meat strives to accelerate the transition to a truly sustainable global food system.

West Coast Salmon plans to build and operate an industrial scale.

BlueNalu is a cellular aquaculture company that satisfies the global appetite for seafood in a fresh, sustainable, and humane way. It offers consumers with great tasting, healthy, safe, and trusted seafood products, that support the sustainability and diversity of the oceans.

Eruvaka Technologies develops on-farm diagnostic equipment for aquaculture farmers to reduce their risk and increase productivity. They integrate sensors, mobile connectivity and decision tools for affordable aquaculture monitoring and automation. Their mission is to accelerate the use of technology in aquaculture. It helps farmers to monitor their ponds in a better way and reduce their investments to make it sustainable.

Nutreco is a global leader in animal nutrition and aquafeed. Our advanced nutritional solutions are at the origin of food for millions of consumers worldwide.  Quality, innovation and sustainability are guiding principles, embedded in the Nutreco culture from research and raw material procurement to products and services for livestock farming and aquaculture. Experience across 100 years brings Nutreco a rich heritage of knowledge and expertise for building its future.

Wierenga made head of venturing at animal feed maker Nutreco

Producers of cell-cultured seafood using cells extracted from fish. Startups have succeeded in developing prototypes of yellowtail and salmon

Producers of cell-cultured pork using cells extracted from animals. Startups have succeeded in developing prototypes of bacon and pork belly using cultured muscle and plant-based proteins and fat

Producers of cell-cultured beef using cells extracted from animals. Some producers in the industry are developing premium beef ranges such as Wagyu. Startups have only succeeded in developing prototypes in the minced form, with a few creating prototypes of (pieces of) steak using 3D bioprinters

Producers of cell-cultured chicken and duck using cells extracted from animals. Some producers in the industry are developing rare delicacies such as foie gras. Startups have only succeeded in developing products in the nugget form

Producers of growth media for cell-cultured meat production and ingredients for meat and meat analog (cell-cultured, plant-based) producers, which can include cell culture meat paste, culture fat, etc. Producers of growth media mainly focus on developing alternative growth media to FBS using plant-based or other sources

Developers of bioreactors and other technologies used in cell-cultured meat production. Industrial scaling and efficiency gains are key areas of interest for startups in the industry

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