10 Wins for Cellular Agriculture in 2021
From record-breaking investment figures to innovative new products, here are some of the wins for cellular agriculture this year.
Investors Pour Hundreds of Millions of Dollars into the Industry
More than $763 million was raised by cultivated protein companies by the third quarter of 2021, far surpassing investment figures from previous years, according to Good Food Institute. To put into perspective how rapidly this industry is growing, in 2020 companies raised $415 million. There are nearly now 100 companies working on developing cultivated meat inputs, services, or end products.
The Animal Meat Industry Gets in on the Action
The world's largest producer of animal protein, JBS, announced an investment of US $100 million in cultivated meat manufacturing, signaling that the meat industry sees where the direction of food is heading.
The USDA Invests in Cultivated Meat
It’s not just animal meat companies that are entering the sector. 2021 also saw the USDA make its first investment in cultivated meat. As part of its National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Sustainable Agricultural Systems program, the USDA awarded Tufts University a $10 million grant to establish the first-ever government-funded, cultivated protein research center.
CA $1 Million Cultivated Meat Competition
Investment platform, CULT Food Science Corp., officially launched its CULT Prize, a CA$1 million, two-year global competition to help accelerate the future of cultivated foods.
Cultivated Meat Companies to Transform Pet Food Industry
2021 saw cultivated meat enter the pet food industry. With cats and dogs consuming more than 25% of the United States’ meat supply, innovative companies and tech start-ups are reimagining food for our companion animals in more sustainable and healthy ways.
This year, biotech company Because, Animals launched the world’s first cultured meat product for pets containing cultivated mouse meat - they’ll be on the market in 2022. Similarly, California’s Wild Earth secured $23 million in a Series A funding round, to launch cultivated meat-based food for dogs and cats. Meanwhile, pet food giant Hill’s Pet Nutrition partnered with alt-protein leader Bond Pet Foods to produce pet food formulas using fermented proteins to address the dietary needs of cats and dogs.
Largest-Ever Cultivated Meat Factory Opens
Berkeley food tech company, UPSIDE Foods, opened its new, $50 million, 53,000-square-foot facility, designed to produce hundreds of thousands of pounds of cultivated meat. This is the largest laboratory dedicated to the production of cultivated meat to date and represents a huge step forward in the mission to create slaughter-free meat from the cells of animals.
TED Publishes New Talk on Cellular Agriculture
This year also saw the release of the phenomenal TED Talk by cellular agriculture pioneer, Isha Datar. She took to the stage to explain how this cutting-edge food technology can make it possible to eat meat, while disrupting animal agriculture, creating a more just, democratic food system, and combating associated climate change risks.
Cell-Based Seafood Makes a Splash
In Singapore, the world’s first cell-based crab meat was unveiled at a tasting event by Shiok Meats. Meanwhile, in the U.S., cultivated seafood company Wildtype announced plans to bring sushi-grade cultivated salmon to sushi bars and grocery stores.. Cultivated products in the U.S. are still awaiting FDA approval, but in anticipation of when that time comes, Wildtype signed an agreement with two companies that will serve the salmon as soon as the red tape is cut.
Slaughter-Free Steak Becomes a Reality
From the ‘world’s first’ cell-based ribeye steak to the unveiling of the largest-ever cultivated steak, slaughter-free steak broke new ground in 2021.
Well-Known Environmentalists Champion Cultivated Meat
Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall narrated the cultured meat documentary, “Meat the Future”, helping to spread awareness about the ecological benefits of this alt-protein. The film follows the journey of cultured meat start-up UPSIDE Foods and its visionary CEO, Dr. Uma Valeti over the course of five years. And this year, Oscar-winning actor and long-time environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio invested in cultivated meat companies Aleph Farms and Mosa Meat.
In 2022 and beyond, Species Unite will continue to champion the solutions that can help transition the world away from animal products. Join our community by becoming a member today and check out our Future of Food podcast episodes to learn more about cellular agriculture.
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The news comes just weeks after H5N1 bird flu was identified for the first time among dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas.