Capital Brief’s Post

🍴🥩 DUTCH STARTUP MOSA MEAT HOSTS FIRST CULTIVATED BEEF TASTING IN THE EU Mosa Meat, the Dutch startup that produced the world’s first cultivated meat burger over a decade ago, hosted a public tasting of its cultivated beef at its test kitchen in Maastricht last week (July 15). Convening Dutch cattle farmers, food product developers and industry representatives, it marked the first time public members tasted cultivated beef in the EU. It follows the Dutch government’s establishment of a Code of Practice last year, which paved the way for startups to conduct tastings of cultivated meat and seafood before being approved for sale in the EU. The attendees tasted hybrid beef patties, which combined cultivated beef fat with a custom plant-based mix made in-house by Mosa Meat’s product development team. Much like conventional minced beef that has varying degrees of fat (80/20, 90/10, etc.), the company is still experimenting with the optimal proportion of cultivated fat and plant-based ingredients (which are already widely accepted as food-grade and safe to eat). “We specifically evaluated the potential of cultivated beef fat as an ingredient in a blend with plant-based ingredients as we know it is responsible for the flavour, aromas, mouthfeel and even sizzle people love from beef,” said Maarten Bosch, co-founder and CEO of Mosa Meat, which is awaiting regulatory approval in Singapore. The tasting follows the company’s latest $42.4M fundraising round in April, which was the largest investment in a cultivated meat company since November 2022. It took total investment in the company to over $135M, and is helping Mosa Meat scale up its production processes and accelerate its route to market. While it awaits the regulatory nod in Singapore, Mosa Meat will concurrently submit applications in other markets in 2024, and has highlighted the US, the EU, Switzerland and the UK as top targets. These regions have established regulatory frameworks and represent a billion consumers combined, which would allow the company to make a larger impact. Learn more in the full article: https://lnkd.in/eWBtB3Kc #GreenQueen #altprotein #cultivatedmeat #foodsystems #sustainability #innovation #foodtech

Sydney-based Vow has become the third startup (after UPSIDE FOODS and GOOD Meat) to introduce cultivated meat to the market after securing the green light from regulators in Singapore. But it’s not starting with chicken nuggets... Vow’s first product—‘Quailia’ under the ‘Forged Parfait’ brand—is a “meat we haven’t seen on our plates before… a subspecies of Japanese quail offering a rich umami flavor with a weightless, melt-in-your-mouth quality,” says CEO George Peppou, who is debuting the delicacy at the exclusive Mandala Club on April 12 before rolling it out to more high-end restaurants in Singapore in the coming months. While you aren’t going to displace industrial animal agriculture with novelties served in high-end restaurants, Quailia is a more logical starting point for a cultivated meat startup with limited scale than a low-value, high volume meat such as chicken, said Peppou, who co-founded Vow in 2019 with Tim Noakesmith, opened a pilot plant in Sydney in 2022 featuring a 2,000-liter bioreactor, and is now operating much larger bioreactors at an adjacent site. “A key part of the proposition to fine dining chefs was that they can serve something that no one else has and no one else can have, because we just invented it.” #cultivatedmeat #cellularagriculture #foodtech #alternativeproteins AgFunder

🇦🇺🇸🇬 Vow received regulatory approval in Singapore for its cultivated quail product This makes the Australian startup just the fourth company globally and second in Singapore to get approval for cultivated meat products. The product, called Forged Parfait, debuts at the Mandala Club under the Forged brand. Introducing Quailia, a new concept animal inspired by quail, Vow aims to create unique dining experiences beyond replicating existing meats. This strategy is the “first” of its kind globally, focusing on originality in cultivated meat. Vow is currently producing over 100kg of its cultivated meat per month and plans to increase production as it expands to more venues in Singapore and internationally. Vow is producing and commercializing cultivated meat at a fraction of the capital used by leading competitors such as Eat Just ($850M), Upside Foods ($608M), and Aleph Farms ($115M). The company has achieved commercial status in half the time compared to some of its competitors. George Peppou, Tim Noakesmith, Ellen Dinsmoor ✉️ Hungry for more updates on biotech shaping the future of food? Devour the free subscription: betterbioeconomy.com

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆! Today we celebrate the beloved hamburger, a classic favorite enjoyed by many around the world. It's a day to indulge in delicious, juicy burgers, whether grilled at home or enjoyed at your favorite restaurant. Ironically, today is also World Hunger Day. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the persistent issue of hunger that affects millions of people globally. It's a big reminder of the contrast between the abundance some enjoy and the scarcity others face. While celebrating the joy of hamburgers today, take a moment to reflect on the hunger crisis. Despite the incredible advancements in technology, and increased global wealth we still struggle to ensure everyone has enough to eat. Moving forward, we need innovative solutions to feed everyone sustainably without overstressing our planet. While switching (entirely) to plant-based alternatives might not be realistic or appealing to everyone, especially given their taste and high levels of salt and additives, there are other promising options to explore in the near future. Urban farming and lab-grown meat are potential game-changers. These innovations could help us achieve food security for all. Let's stay hopeful and engaged as we work towards a future where no one has to go hungry.

🎉🍗🇸🇬🇦🇺🚀 World FIRST: Cultivated Quail approved for commercial sale today in #Singapore from Australian pioneering cultivated meat company Vow! Over in APAC, things are happening on the future food front! This is only the 2nd approval in Singapore, the 4th approval worldwide, and the FIRST for cultivated quail. If you are a student of future food, Vow's CEO George Peppou is someone to watch. As he himself says, "'We Innovate Instead of Imitating'. "As it rolls out its first cultivated meat product following regulatory approval in Singapore, Vow CEO George Peppou speaks to Green Queen about the Forged quail parfait, the need to do things differently, and consumers’ approach to novel food tech. As the first Australian cultivated meat brand to earn regulatory clearance anywhere in the world, Vow’s momentous achievement has raised plenty of intrigue – and questions. In case you missed it, the Syndey-based startup is today launching its cultivated Japanese quail in Singapore’s Mandala Club, after the country’s regulator gave it the go-ahead to sell the\product. But unlike other rollouts of cultivated meat, where chefs are supplied with the meat itself (which they then incorporate into dishes), Vow is taking a novel approach. What restaurant kitchens get is a parfait containing its cultivated quail. The product coincides with the unveiling of its premium consumer brand, Forged, and a new metaphorical bird called Quailia, which is supposed to represent an animal that only exists to be eaten, unlike its real-world counterpart. “Quailia is a metaphor for what we are doing: creating new experiences rather than replicating food animals make,” Vow co-founder and CEO George Peppou tells Green Queen. It all feels a little different with this latest cultivated meat launch – and that’s because it’s meant to be. “We believe in creating entirely new food experiences,” says Peppou. “Quail is a great way to introduce consumers to this. It’s familiar enough to be interesting, but not something eaten regularly enough for consumers to have a strong view of what it is and isn’t.” Huge congrats to George Peppou, Tim Noakesmith, and everyone else! BIG DAY! Click the article for more details. Also have a listen to my podcast episode with George Peppou here: https://lnkd.in/gAbN7_Rr More about Forged and the approval here: https://lnkd.in/giTZ8kdh As always proud of oud of Anay's reporting here! #cultivatedmeat #regulatoryapproval #beef #futureoffood #foodtech #altprotein

🥩🍽️ WILL THIS BE A GOOD YEAR FOR CULTIVATED MEAT? July 2023 was a landmark moment for cultivated meat. It was the month after Californian startups Eat JUST’s GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods received USDA approval to sell their cultured chicken nationwide, and became the month that saw the debut of these products in restaurants. UPSIDE Foods’ chicken made its way onto the menu of Dominique Crenn's Michelin-starred eatery Bar Crenn in San Francisco, while José Andrés’ Washington, DC restaurant China Chilcano debuted GOOD Meat’s product, which rolled out for public tasting weeks later. “It represents a giant leap towards a world where people no longer have to choose between the foods they love and a thriving planet,” UPSIDE Foods CEO Uma Valeti, MD said at the time, summing up the weight of the occasion. “I can’t wait for more people to get their first bite – it’s a magical moment that inspires an exciting world of new possibilities.” Now, however, people can’t get those bites anymore, not in the same capacity anyway. UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat have hit pause on their restaurant collaborations for now. And that’s not just in the US – GOOD Meat’s products are no longer available in Singapore either, which was the first country to approve the sale of cultivated meat anywhere in the world. In a year earmarked as a milestone for regulatory pathways and commercialisation of cultured meat – with Israel’s Aleph Farms becoming just the third company to earn clearance last month – where does that leave the industry? Carrie Kabat Sheila Voss Yoav Reisler Josh Tetrick #GreenQueen #altprotein #cultivatedmeat #futurefood #sustainability #foodtech #foodsystems

Big news from the alternative protein world today. Vow is the fourth company to be cleared to sell cultivated meat – but its approach is the most unique. It’s not just making modern meat, it’s making modern food for connoisseurs and specifically meat-eaters. I spoke to Vow CEO George Peppou about the cultivated quail, Forged Parfait, his global plans, and what cultivated meat companies are getting wrong. Despite all the political proposals to ban cultivated meat, this was always earmarked as a milestone year for regulation in this space – and so it is proving to be.

Cultivated meat is banging on the doors of policymakers and legislators to enter the international markets. A company that has been pioneering cultivated meat is the Dutch company Mosa Meat. 🥩 After years of tireless research and development, Mosa Meat, led by the team of Mark Post, Maarten Bosch, and Peter Verstrate, started with a mission to fundamentally reshape the global food system. The company's journey began in 2006, and they revealed their first cultured beef burger in 2013, which cost a whopping €250,000. Over the years, Mosa Meat has grown, not only in size but also in their mission, and they have continuously worked towards making sustainable burgers a reality, achieving important milestones like adding fat, removing animal components from the production process, and significantly reducing the cost. This past month, Mosa Meat celebrated a groundbreaking moment. They received official approval to start tastings of their product, bringing us a step closer to the day when we'll see their innovative, sustainably produced meat on our dinner plates. 🤩 Overall we are extremely excited to see where cultivated meat is going to take the foodsector. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before we're all dining on lab-grown delicacies. What do you think? #cultivatedmeat #mosameat #sustainablefood #futureoffood #foodinnovation #labgrownmeat #foodinnovation #openinnovation #climatechange #animalwelfare

Cultivated Meat & seafood development have started in Iceland! Looking forward to a fruitful discussion about chances and opportunities of this new #technology in Iceland! #Biotechnology #cultivatedmeat #cellularagriculture #newfound #sustainability

Some things were not meant to be: "After a promising beginning, is Singapore's cultivated meat industry on the way to the slaughterhouse?" Ultimately the consumer tried and said no. This is the dange of hyping sectors and companies promising financials that they can't deliver" "In two short years, the industry appears to be slowing down. In March this year, Eat Just put its lab-grown meat production at the Bedok facility on hold, the Straits Times reported. Huber’s Butchery stopped offering the product in December last year. In the same month, it was reported that Singapore-based lab-grown seafood startups Shiok Meats and Umami Bioworks were merging. And it is not just here that the industry is slowing down. A New York Times article in February detailed the decline of the industry – one which had a bright start with investors pouring over US$3 billion into the industry between 2016 and 2022. However, a mix of unrealistic optimism from investors, followed by the realisation that the science behind the product could not match consumer demand for low prices and higher volumes of production, has left the entire industry in limbo. “I have been saying in every media interview and from day one that it will take at least another decade for cultivated meat or seafood to scale and for it to be available for the consumers to buy easily in restaurants and supermarkets,” she said. “Until then, it will be a niche and premium market.” Echoing these sentiments, the authorities said the lab-grown meat industry is still nascent both globally and in Singapore." Spot on. Probably best to focus on plant based or vegetarian options instead. What do you think? If you’re an entrepreneur and need support on your entrepreneurial journey to enable you to grow your business, our Ultimate LinkedIn Marketing and Personal Branding service can help you, details here : https://lnkd.in/dqWRi6EZ https://lnkd.in/gm6KBhmG