M-Industry

Making meat sustainable over the long term

Cell-cultured Meat

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 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/15904">kosher-certified</a> whole-cut beef alternative product and was the first cell-cultured beef product to be <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25648">approved</a> 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 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20443">Switzerland</a> and the <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/20716">UK</a>. 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 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13596">US</a>, and Israel. Its 65,000 sq ft <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8639">headquarters</a> in Rehovot, Israel, houses a pilot production facility, a state-of-the-art R&amp;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 partnershipsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/18379">May 2023</a>, 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 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19185">June 2023</a>, 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 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26828">February 2024</a>, 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 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/29115">May 2024</a>, it partnered with AI insights platform BioRaptor to lower production costs and streamline production processes.Funding and financialsIn <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/4121">July 2021</a>, 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.

Aleph Farms is an Israel-based food technology company designing new ways to grow quality animal products that improve sustainability, food security and animal welfare in our food systems. Founded in 2017, the company utilized cellular agriculture technology to unveil the world’s first cultivated thin-cut steak in 2018, the world’s first cultivated ribeye steak in 2021, and cultivated collagen in 2022. Under its product brand, Aleph Cuts, the company will launch its first product, the Petit Steak, grown from the non-modified cells of a premium Angus cow. For its contributions to climate leadership including a net zero commitment made in 2020, it has received top accolades from the World Economic Forum and the United Nations.

M-Industry is part of the Swiss Migros Group.

M Industry

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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