BRF, Cargill invest in Israeli cultured meat venture

Aleph Farms secured more than $105 million series B funding for large scale global commercialization of cultivated beef steaks.

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pikselstock | BigStockPhoto.com
pikselstock | BigStockPhoto.com

Aleph Farms secured more than $105 million series B funding for large scale global commercialization of cultivated beef steaks.

"This additional capital from top-tier partners with unparalleled experience and expertise brings us significantly closer to our vision of providing secure and unconditional access to high-quality nutrition to anyone, anytime, anywhere. We see our investors as partners for building this new category of meat and it was critical to us that they share our strong commitment to improving the sustainability of our global food systems,” said Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms.

Cultured raised meat products aren’t available on the market yet – in large part due to the high cost of manufacturing -- although the first restaurant that offers applicants a chance to taste cultured chicken recently opened in Israel.

The process uses real animal cells grown in a stainless-steel tank known as a bioreactor, resulting in a product that resembles chicken, beef, pork and other meats. 

BRF and Cargill enter funding round

The funding round for the Israel-based cultured meat company was led by the Growth Fund of L Catterton and DisruptAD and included investments from legacy meat companies BRF and Cargill.

“With this movement, the Company advances in its plan to meet the growing consumer demand for new and alternative sources of protein, bringing innovative technologies to Brazil, in line with its commitments to sustainability, innovation and food safety,” BRF wrote in a statement on its website.

In March 2021, BRF signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that gave the poultry company exclusive distribution of Aleph Farms’ cultivated proteins in Brazil. 

Cargill first announced in 2019 it was investing in the Israeli startup, with a Cargill Protein spokeswoman saying a partnership between the companies “connects new frontiers in cell-based technology with insights in the global food system and supply chains to meet future customer and consumer needs.”

BRF, according to the WATTPoultry.com Top Companies Database, is the world’s third largest producer of poultry. Cargill Protein is the third largest turkey company in the United States, trailing only Butterball and Jennie-O Turkey Store.

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