February brought plenty of action in the cultivated meat world, and while some companies are struggling to keep their heads above water, others are racing ahead with new breakthroughs. If cultivated meat were a soap opera, this month’s episodes would have it all: unexpected alliances, financial drama, political intrigue, and, of course, a taste test in Iceland that left guests wondering if the future of seafood might just be growing in a lab.

The International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat (ISCCM) announced its next edition, set for November in Maastricht. The event will focus on the latest advancements in lab-grown meat science and its impact on sustainability, ethics, and public health

One of the biggest surprises of the month came from Meatable and Pelagen, who joined forces to develop biofabricated leather from animal cells. While most cultivated meat companies focus on food, this partnership suggests that lab-grown materials might take off faster than lab-grown burgers. Meanwhile, Aleph Farms, one of the most recognized names in the field, is in deep financial trouble. Despite raising $140 million over the years, it now urgently needs $25 million to survive, showing that high-tech meat is still struggling to turn its promise into profit. But there’s some good news: The Cultivated B announced a synthetic growth factor, TCB-32, that could dramatically cut production costs by replacing an expensive ingredient needed for cell growth. Elsewhere, Steakholder Foods secured another grant for its 3D-printed seafood, and Mosa Meat took another regulatory step forward by applying for approval in Switzerland.

Investors and market analysts are keeping a close watch on the industry, but their enthusiasm has cooled. Many now believe that alternative proteins won’t follow the same explosive growth model as Silicon Valley startups. Lever VC, however, remains optimistic and announced the first $50 million close of a new agrifoodtech fund. On the other hand, industry insiders warn that 2025 will be full of uncertainty, as funding dries up and companies scramble to prove their long-term viability.

On the research front, scientists in Israel developed an antibiotic alternative for cultivated meat production. Their discovery, Random Antimicrobial Peptide Mixtures (RPMs), could make lab-grown meat safer and more scalable, as contamination risks remain one of the industry’s main concerns. And in Iceland, a cultivated shellfish tasting event attracted government officials, signaling that policymakers in some parts of the world are open to embracing cell-based seafood.

While cultivated meat faces an uphill battle, adjacent sectors like precision fermentation and plant-based proteins continue to adapt. With traditional egg prices soaring, companies producing vegan egg alternatives from mung beans and chickpeas are experiencing a boom. Meanwhile, Bon Vivant received regulatory approval for its precision-fermented whey protein, opening new doors in the U.S. market.

See you next month!

News

ISCCM – International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat – November 9-11, 2025 – Maastricht 🗓 February 18, 2025
The International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat will be held on November 9-11, 2025. ISCCM11 delves into the science and innovation behind lab-grown meat, exploring its environmental, ethical, and health impacts in the food industry. Source: ISCCM – International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat

Companies and key players

Cultivated Leather: Meatable and Pelagen Partner to Make Biofabricated Natural Materials February 27, 2025
Meatable, a cultivated meat technology company, is collaborating with Pelagen, a sustainable leather manufacturer, to enhance production of skin tissue from animal cells for leather production. Meatable’s opti-ox™ technology will be used to improve efficiency and scalability. The companies will work together on optimizing media composition and processes to reduce… Read more: Cultivated Leather: Meatable and Pelagen Partner to Make Biofabricated Natural Materials

Aleph Farms raised $140 million—but now it’s struggling to survive February 26, 2025
Aleph Farms, a pioneering cultured meat startup, is struggling financially despite raising $140 million since 2017. The company is seeking emergency funding of $25 million to continue operations, with a projected valuation drop of up to 73% from its last round. This reflects broader challenges in the food tech and… Read more: Aleph Farms raised $140 million—but now it’s struggling to survive

The Cultivated B Unveils Synthetic Growth Factor to Reduce Cultivated Meat Costs February 25, 2025
The Cultivated B has developed TCB-32, a synthetic molecule that could significantly reduce costs for cultivated meat and other cell-based industries by replacing expensive basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). TCB-32 mimics bFGF’s role in stimulating cell growth but remains stable longer, reducing media replacement needs. As a chemically synthesized alternative,… Read more: The Cultivated B Unveils Synthetic Growth Factor to Reduce Cultivated Meat Costs

Steakholder Foods® secures $250,000 in third SIIRD grant installment February 18, 2025
Steakholder Foods Ltd. received its third $250,000 installment of a $1 million SIIRD grant, totaling $740,000 to date. The payment follows advancements in 3D-printed eel texture and flavor, building on previous successes with hybrid fish and plant-based seafood alternatives. The company’s progress demonstrates its commitment to innovative food technology, using… Read more: Steakholder Foods® secures $250,000 in third SIIRD grant installment

Eat Just, ABEC to end dispute February 16, 2025
Eat Just and ABEC have filed paperwork indicating an “agreement in principle” to settle their long-running lawsuit over bioreactor contracts for cultivated meat production. The companies requested more time to finalize details, and a settlement master was appointed. However, the judge denied pausing case deadlines. ABEC had sued Eat Just… Read more: Eat Just, ABEC to end dispute

Meatly: “As the Number of Cultivated Meat Companies Proliferates, We Hope to Set the Standard for the Industry” February 14, 2025
Meatly, a pioneering cultivated meat company, recently became the first to receive C-Label certification for its cultivated chicken pet food products. This milestone aligns with Meatly’s mission to produce safe, ethical cultivated meat while building consumer trust. As an early adopter, Meatly aims to set industry standards and accelerate mainstream… Read more: Meatly: “As the Number of Cultivated Meat Companies Proliferates, We Hope to Set the Standard for the Industry”

Cultivated shellfish tasting in Iceland February 13, 2025
ORF Genetics and Cellmeat hosted a cultivated shellfish tasting in Reykjavík, showcasing the potential of cell-cultured seafood using plant-based growth factors. The event, held at the Iceland Ocean Cluster, featured prominent guests including government officials. ORF’s MESOkine growth factors, derived from bioengineered barley, were used in Cellmeat’s shellfish production. This… Read more: Cultivated shellfish tasting in Iceland

Mosa Meat maintains momentum with Novel Food submission in Switzerland February 12, 2025
Mosa Meat, a cultivated meat company, has submitted a novel food authorization request in Switzerland for cultivated fat as an ingredient to enhance plant-based products. This follows their EU submission for cultivated beef. The company aims to combine cultivated and plant-based ingredients in their first products. The approval process is… Read more: Mosa Meat maintains momentum with Novel Food submission in Switzerland

Stämm and SuperMeat Collaborate to Accelerate Cultivated Meat Biomanufacturing, with Support from Mutual Investor Varana Capital February 11, 2025
Stämm and SuperMeat are collaborating to accelerate cultivated meat production, supported by mutual investor Varana Capital. Stämm’s innovative Bioprocessor, which has shown success in biopharma, will be integrated into SuperMeat’s cultivated chicken process. The partnership aims to enhance muscle fiber growth and adipocyte formation, potentially increasing product mass and reducing… Read more: Stämm and SuperMeat Collaborate to Accelerate Cultivated Meat Biomanufacturing, with Support from Mutual Investor Varana Capital

UPSIDE Foods & Pat LaFrieda expand cultivated meat options in restaurants February 1, 2025
UPSIDE Foods partners with meat distributor Pat LaFrieda to introduce cultivated chicken products to restaurants and consumers. The collaboration aims to integrate UPSIDE’s shredded chicken and chicken sausage into familiar recipes, leveraging LaFrieda’s restaurant network. UPSIDE hosted a New York City event showcasing versatile applications of its products in various… Read more

Market, investment, prospective

Beyond the hype: alt-meat won’t follow Silicon Valley’s playbook February 20, 2025
The alt-meat industry experienced rapid growth and investment in the late 2010s, fueled by technological advancements and climate concerns. However, by 2022, many declared the hype cycle was ending as companies struggled. Some viewed this as following the Gartner Hype Cycle model, expecting eventual recovery and stabilization. However, three years… Read more: Beyond the hype: alt-meat won’t follow Silicon Valley’s playbook

Agrifoodtech investors brace for a tumultuous 2025 February 15, 2025
Predictions from agrifoodtech investors for 2025, anticipates a tumultuous year characterized by “chaos,” “uncertainty,” and “short-term decision-making.”Key points include: Source: Agrifoodtech investors brace for a tumultuous 2025

Lever VC announces $50m first close of agrifoodtech Fund II February 5, 2025
Lever VC announced a $50 million first close for its Fund II, targeting early-stage agrifoodtech startups. The fund has attracted diverse investors and made initial investments in novel ingredients, agtech software, and meat alternatives. Managing partner Nick Cooney sees strong opportunities in food/ag despite the current challenging funding environment, citing… Read more

Laws, ethics and lobbies

Which Countries Benefit From Lab-Grown Meat Bans in Trump’s America? January 29, 2025
The article discusses the potential impact of Donald Trump’s return to presidency on cultivated meat bans in the US and which countries could benefit from such policies. Trump’s administration is expected to be hostile towards climate initiatives and alternative proteins. Several US states have already banned or attempted to ban… Read more: Which Countries Benefit From Lab-Grown Meat Bans in Trump’s America?

Research

Study: Antibiotic alternative for cultivated meat February 24, 2025
Researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed Random Antimicrobial Peptide Mixtures (RPMs) as an alternative to antibiotics in cultured meat production. The study, published in Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences, shows RPMs effectively combat bacterial contamination without harming host cells or slowing differentiation. They demonstrated strong activity against both Gram-positive… Read more

Other alternatives to meat

Surging egg prices boost vegan alternatives made with mung beans February 21, 2025
Surging egg prices and shortages in the US have created a major opportunity for vegan egg alternatives. Companies like Eat Just and Yo Egg are ramping up production, expanding distribution, and planning price cuts to capitalize on record-high chicken egg costs. Made from ingredients like mung beans and chickpeas, these… Read more: Surging egg prices boost vegan alternatives made with mung beans

Bon Vivant Secures GRAS Status for Precision-Fermented Whey Protein, Targets US Market Expansion February 10, 2025
Bon Vivant has achieved self-affirmed GRAS status in the US for its precision-fermented Beta-Lactoglobulin (BLG) whey protein. This milestone enables the company to enter the US market and expand collaborations. The protein offers significant environmental benefits compared to conventional dairy, reducing emissions, water use, and land use. Bon Vivant is… Read more: Bon Vivant Secures GRAS Status for Precision-Fermented Whey Protein, Targets US Market Expansion

Plant-based meat looks to future with optimism but hurdles remain February 7, 2025
This analysis explores the current state and future prospects of the plant-based meat industry. While progress has been made in taste, texture, and pricing, challenges remain in achieving widespread consumer adoption. Technological advancements and new production techniques are improving product quality, but the category still faces criticism over health credentials… Read more: Plant-based meat looks to future with optimism but hurdles remain

People prefer meat alternatives if they are significantly cheaper than real meat, study shows February 6, 2025
A study of 2,100 US consumers found that price is the most important factor in acceptance of plant-based meat alternatives, not similarity to real meat. When priced equally, most preferred real meat. However, if alternatives were significantly cheaper (around half the price), sales could double. Men were surprisingly more price-sensitive… Read more: People prefer meat alternatives if they are significantly cheaper than real meat, study shows

French insect ag pioneers Agronutris and Ÿnsect in trouble February 4, 2025
The insect farming industry is facing economic challenges, with pioneers Ÿnsect and Agronutris seeking financial options. Ÿnsect is exploring takeover possibilities and needs €130M to reach 2028 revenue targets. Agronutris filed a safeguard plan to restructure and find new investors. Both companies cite difficult market conditions and investor wariness. The… Read more