Shiok Meat

Shiok Meat specializes in cell-cultured crustaceans such as shrimp, crab, and lobster. The startup debuted cell-cultured shrimp and lobster in November 2020 and plans to launch products in Singapore, followed by the US, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia.

Shiok Meat expected to lower the cost of its cell-cultured shrimp to a price of around USD 50 per kg (USD 22.7 per lb) by 2022, with further reductions planned for the future.

In August 2021, Shiok Meat acquired Gaia Foods—a cell-cultured pork, beef, and mutton startup—for an undisclosed sum. Gaia Foods became the first startup in Southeast Asia to develop cell-cultured steak in October 2020.

Key customers and partnerships

In July 2022, Shiok Meat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vietnam’s largest conventional shrimp producer and exporter, Minh Phu Seafood, to develop a combined R&D facility to introduce cultivated seafood to Asian markets.

In August 2022, Shiok Meats’ subsidiary Gaia Foods entered into a strategic collaboration with Switzerland-based Mirai Foods to develop and launch cultivated beef for the Singapore market.

In March 2024, Shiok Meat merged with Singaporean cultivated meat company UMAMI Bioworks to leverage UMAMI’s automated cell-cultivation platform and Shiok Meats’ crustacean cell cultivation expertise to boost market efficiency, enhance commercial prospects, and expedite regulatory approvals.

Funding and Financials

In July 2021, Shiok Meat raised an undisclosed sum in a bridge funding round co-led by Vinh Hoan, Woowa Brothers, and CJ CheilJedang. The funding was earmarked for R&D and constructing a new production facility.