Extract from Top stories in Cultivated Meat – August 2025

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They say August is the month when the world slows down, but this summer, the cultivated meat sector seems to be speeding in every possible direction at once. Companies are pivoting, collapsing, merging, and reinventing themselves, while regulators and investors send mixed signals. It’s a bit like sitting at a summer barbecue where half the guests have stormed off, others are arguing over the grill, and one determined chef is still trying to serve the sausages. Let’s take a look at what happened this month.

The Good Food Institute (GFI) has a new captain at the helm. Nigel Sizer, formerly of the Rainforest Alliance and World Resources Institute, will become CEO at the end of August. Known for his expertise in nature conservation and public health, Sizer’s appointment signals a focus on global strategy and credibility as GFI navigates turbulent industry waters. Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, India has opened its first animal stem cell biobank, a government-backed initiative at the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology. This facility will supply high-quality stem cells and culture media to both researchers and companies, laying critical groundwork for cultivated meat innovation in the world’s most populous nation.

The financial strain on startups is becoming more visible. UK-based CellRev, which specialized in cell culture technologies, has gone into administration after failing to secure Series A investment. Belgium’s FlyBlast, once a bold player in insect-based protein for cultivated meat, also filed for bankruptcy, with its founder admitting that focusing on cultivated meat “was going to kill us.”

But while some fade, others adapt. Dutch company Meatable acquired the cultivated meat platform of UK-based Uncommon Bio, which is now pivoting to therapeutics. The move gives Meatable access to valuable cell lines and IP to expand its portfolio. Big industry names are also getting creative: Merck has spun off a new company, EdiMembre, with mantro GmbH to commercialize edible membranes that could make large-scale cultivated meat production more feasible. Elsewhere, Czech startup Mewery secured $3.3 million in EU grants to expand cultivated pork production, showing that public funding remains a lifeline even as private capital tightens. In Australia, Magic Valley has partnered with US-based Pythag Tech to integrate machine learning into cultivated meat development. And in California, Clever Carnivore served up full-size cultivated bratwursts, though still made with just 10% cultivated pork and 90% plant-based protein, it was a rare public tasting that stirred curiosity.

While cultivated meat faces headwinds, precision fermentation is enjoying a wave of investor enthusiasm. The global market, worth $3.2 billion in 2024, could reach over $100 billion by 2034 as companies race to produce functional ingredients like whey and casein without animals. ADM’s 2025 Alternative Protein Landscape Report also paints a bigger picture: consumers are fragmenting into three main groups (flexitarians, vegetarians/vegans, and “carefree” eaters) but all are pushing the market toward proteins that are healthier, cleaner, and tastier. The investment future may not be about one technology or category, but about meeting diverse consumer needs.

Texas made headlines by banning the sale of cultivated meat, even though only one restaurant in the state currently serves it ! The two-year ban, which starts September 1, is being billed as a “preemptive” measure by lawmakers concerned about potential disruption to traditional ranching. For cultivated meat producers, it’s a reminder that regulatory battles in the US won’t just be fought in Washington.

In Zurich, researchers at ETH unveiled a method to produce thicker muscle fibers for cultivated meat, bringing the texture closer to conventional beef. The innovation, led by Dr. Ori Bar-Nur’s team, could make future products juicier and more convincing. Consumer attitudes remain a moving target. A study in Italy, surveying 836 people, confirmed that ethical and sustainability arguments increase acceptance of cultivated meat, while health and safety concerns push in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Dutch scientists at Wageningen University published findings that juiciness in plant-based patties doesn’t necessarily enhance aroma perception, an insight that challenges assumptions about how we taste and smell alternative proteins. Another study turned to technology: a scoping review of blockchain use in meat production found that it could boost transparency, trust, and compliance in both conventional and cultured supply chains. Whether blockchain becomes a quiet backbone or just another buzzword remains to be seen.

In Sacramento, The Better Meat Co. closed a hefty $31 million Series A round to ramp up production of its Rhiza mycoprotein. CEO Paul Shapiro compared running a startup in the space to competing in Squid Game — vivid, if a little unsettling. Rumors swirled around Beyond Meat this month, but the company denied reports of impending bankruptcy. Despite falling sales and restructuring challenges, it insists it’s not going anywhere. In Europe, Juicy Marbles and Revo Foods teamed up to launch “Kinda Salmon,” a whole-cut plant-based fish filet, while German company Happy Ocean ditched its tuna and shrimp lines to refocus on foodservice proteins. And finally, McKinsey’s latest wellness survey shows consumers increasingly view food as medicine. Functional nutrition, especially among Gen Z and millennials in China, is growing rapidly, a clear reminder that the alternative protein sector sits within a much bigger global shift in how we think about eating.

See you next month!

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