Aleph Farms

Aleph Farms is an Israeli startup developing cell-cultured meat. The company unveiled its first cell-cultured steak in 2018 and demonstrated its ability to grow cells on a textured soy protein scaffolding in 2020. Its flagship product, Aleph Cuts, is a kosher-certified whole-cut beef alternative product and was the first cell-cultured beef product to be approved for commercial sale.

Aleph Cuts have obtained regulatory approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health for its cultivated beef manufacturing process, allowing it to produce and market Aleph Cuts in Israel. It also submitted it for regulatory approval in Switzerland and the UK. Moreover, the company planned on offering exclusive tastings of Aleph Cuts in Singapore and Israel in limited quantities, subject to regulatory approvals.

The company operates out of both the US, and Israel. Its 65,000 sq ft headquarters in Rehovot, Israel, houses a pilot production facility, a state-of-the-art R&D center, and a community center. In June 2024, Aleph Farms laid off 30% of its domestic workforce due to difficulties securing capital amidst its scale-up process.

Key customers and partnerships

In May 2023, Aleph Farms entered into a long-term agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific (TFS), an industry leader in scientific research and materials, to establish a supply chain for cell-culture growth media. Through the agreement, TFS was to collaborate with Aleph Farms to achieve long-term stability in the growth medium supply chain to provide the necessary conditions for scaled production and price parity with conventional meats. In June 2023, world-renowned chef Marcus Samuelsson partnered with the company as an investor, culinary advisor, and launch partner, to work closely on the development and promotion of Aleph Cuts. Further, in July 2023, the company received support from Migros, Switzerland's leading food enterprise, for its regulatory approval process as a part of its strategic collaboration.

In February 2024, the company partnered with bio-based innovation company BBGI and synthetic biology firm Fermbox Bio to build Thailand's first production plant for cellular agriculture applications. Further, in May 2024, it partnered with AI insights platform BioRaptor to lower production costs and streamline production processes.

Funding and financials

In July 2021, the startup raised USD 105 million in series B funding led by L Catterton and DisruptAD. The funding was earmarked for scaling manufacturing, expanding its product portfolio, and facilitating global commercialization efforts.