Upstream Foods to Wind Down Operations Amid Funding Challenges
Upstream Foods, a Dutch startup focused on cultivating fish fat for plant-based seafood products, has announced it will wind down its operations. Kianti Figler, the company’s founder and CEO, shared the news on social media, stating that the decision was driven by the inability to secure the necessary funding to continue scaling the product. The company had been developing cultivated fish fat designed to mimic the flavor and texture of traditional fish fat. This product is made by extracting fish cells to produce stem cells, which are then cultivated into fat cells within a bioreactor. These fat cells are combined with a plant-based matrix to form the final product. Despite raising approximately €1.5 million over the past three years, Upstream Foods faced substantial challenges in …