Stephanie Michelsen of Jellatech

Stephanie Michelsen © Jellatech

Interviews

Jellatech: “Utilizing Animal Cells for Collagen Production Enables us to Offer a Genuinely Bio-Identical Collagen Product”

In June of last year, US-based biotech company Jellatech announced a huge milestone with the development of cultivated collagen made from the company’s own proprietary cell lines. Unlike its competitors, Jellatech has developed a product that is bio-identical to collagen, which is naturally only found in animals. The discovery has the potential to be used across multiple sectors, including medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry. Recently, Jellatech raised $3.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round to scale its manufacturing platform and introduce cell-based proteins to the global market. The company also announced a partnership with CULT Food Science in April to develop pet food made with cultivated collagen. We spoke to founder and CEO Stephanie Michelsen to find out more about the groundbreaking products developed …

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Biotech startup Jellatech announces it has raised $3.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round to scale its manufacturing platform

Image courtesy of Jellatech

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Jellatech Raises $3.5M to Scale its Cell-Based Collagen Platform

US biotech startup Jellatech announces it has raised $3.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round to scale its manufacturing platform and introduce cell-based proteins to the global market. The round was led by Nordic-based VC firm byFounders. Other participants included Milano Investment Partners, Joyful VC, Siddhi Capital, Blustein, and others. Jellatech uses cellular agriculture to produce complex proteins at scale, including bio-identical bovine, porcine, and human cell-based collagen. This biotech firm is the pioneer in successfully developing these novel proteins. The new funds will help Jellatech’s R&D efforts, scale its cell-based technology, and expand its team of scientists and engineers. Moreover, the new capital will help to accelerate the commercialization of its collagen proteins for applications in healthcare, personal care, biomedical research, and F&B. Jellatech also announced that it …

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Plant-Based Po-Boy Sandwich by Pearlita

©Pearlita

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

7 Game-Changing Startups Putting North Carolina on the Innovation Map

Continuing our series on emerging hot-spots in alt protein, we turn to North Carolina, The Tar Heel State – a place better known for its scenic countryside and traditional BBQ than cutting-edge food tech. But North Carolina’s world-class research facilities, low taxes, and pro-tech economy have attracted some of the world’s most innovative animal-free companies looking to disrupt a wide range of industries. From cultivated oysters and filet mignon to algae-made fabrics and next-level collagen, here are 7 startups turning North Carolina into a visionary center for alt protein and more.  1. No Evil Foods Founded in 2014 by husband and wife team Mike Woliansky and Sadrah Schadel, No Evil began its journey selling hand-crafted plant-based meats to local shops and restaurants in and around …

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Jellatech Inc. 3 team shot

©brandiebairdphoto

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

CULT Foods Partners with JellaTech to Launch Animal-Free Collagen in Pet Food

Investment platform CULT Food Science (CSE: CULT)  announces a new partnership with biotech startup JellaTech to launch collagen-enhanced pet foods using functional animal-free collagen. The new ingredients will appear in Indiana Pets, an upcoming pet foods brand created by CULT.  By using cell-cultured collagen, CULT says Indiana Pets can provide premium nutrition to dogs with a much lower environmental impact. Collagen is a major structural protein found in many body tissues, including the bones, skin, tendons, and cartilage, and which provides support, elasticity, and strength. As pets age, they may experience joint pain and stiffness, and collagen has been shown to benefit dogs living with osteoarthritis and other mobility issues, CULT says. JellaTech’s “high purity” collagen is formulated specifically for senior and active dogs, and …

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alternative protein market company Upside Foods serves a cultivated chicken burger

© UPSIDE Foods

Business Wire

Global Cultured Meat Markets Report – By 2040, a Projected 60% of Meat will be Created from Cells Grown Within Bioreactors and Sold Across Grocery Stores and Restaurants Worldwide

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “The Global Market for Cultured Meat – Market Size, Trends, Competitors, and Forecasts (2022)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. By 2040, a projected 60% of the meat will be created from cells grown within bioreactors and sold across grocery stores and restaurants worldwide. The rise of the cultured meat market will be supported by the sustainability of the process, as well as the industry’s ability to provide “tailor-made nutrition” through its meat and seafood products. Recent surveys indicate that nearly 50% of the consumers do not have any reservations about cultured meat. Over the next 10 to 20 years, the cultured meat market is projected to act as a major disruptor to the conventional meat market. The number of startups focused …

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Stephanie Michelsen

Stephanie Michelsen © Aqua Cultured Foods

Interviews

Jellatech: Working to “Harness the Power of Cell Ag to Reduce the Dependency on Animal-Derived Proteins”

This Monday, New Carolina’s Jellatech announced a massive breakthrough, revealing what the company claims to be the “world’s first cell based collagen”. The news comes less than two years after Jellatech was born, and shortly follows the female-led team securing a strategic investment from Canada’s CULT Food Science. Founder and CEO Stephanie Michelsen and the Jellatech team gave us some deeper insights into the milestone and the next steps in the company’s journey ahead. What is the mission and vision of Jellatech? Our mission at Jellatech is to harness the power of cellular agriculture to reduce the dependency on animal-derived proteins. Our vision is to eliminate the world’s dependency on animal-derived ingredients – starting with collagen.  What differentiates collagen made by Jellatech from that of …

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Jellatech Inc. 3 team shot

©brandiebairdphoto

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

BREAKING: Jellatech Reveals its First Animal-Free, Cell-Based Collagen

Today, June 27th, Jellatech reveals a major milestone in its mission to eliminate animals from the food system, starting with collagen and gelatin: after just two years of existence, the North Carolina team announces the successful development of a full-length, triple helical and functional collagen made from its own proprietary cell lines.  Founded in 2020 by Stephanie Michelsen, who was included on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2022, the company secured $2 million in seed funding last year and just recently received a strategic investment from cellular-focused VC firm CULT Food Sciences. Collagen — a by-product of the meat industry — is widely used across various categories in a highly lucrative market totalling around $8.4 billion. Demand for the ingredient is increasing due …

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Stephanie Michelsen Jellatech

Founder Stephanie Michelsen, image by Camilo F. Muñoz Segovia

Investments & Finance

Canada: CULT Announces Strategic Investment in Cultivated Collagen & Gelatin Pioneer Jellatech

Canadian investment company CULT Food Science Corp. announces it has completed a strategic investment in Jellatech Inc., the world’s first cell-based collagen and gelatin ingredient company. Jellatech also counts Ryan Bethencourt’s Sustainable Food Ventures as a prominent investor. Jellatech, founded in 2020 by Stephanie Michelsen, who has been included on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2022, closed a $2 million pre-seed fundraise last April. Stephanie’s sister Nikita is also operating in the cultivated arena, having recently launched new startup Pearlita, with a new research lab in Raleigh, NC to grow oysters from cellular agriculture.  Impressive portfolio CULT has made several key investments in animal-free companies over the past six months, including cell-cultured meat company Novel Farms last August; into Biftek, producer of a …

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Future Food TP21

© Rethink Events Ltd

Fairs & Events

Meet the Current Crop of Alt Protein Talent at the Future Food-Tech Summit

Around 150 trailblazing alt protein companies will join the virtual audience at the Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins summit on June 22-23. The summit aims to bring together food brands, retailers, ingredient manufacturers, tech providers, and investors for two days of online networking to accelerate the future of alt protein. “We’re delighted to showcase the most exciting emerging talent and fresh solutions within the alternative protein space” Here we list the exciting crop of talented alt protein early and mid-stage companies from around the globe featuring at the event, including numerous vegconomist favourites such as Umiami, NotCo, Next Meats, Planted, Zrou, and Because, Animals. Aqua Cultured Foods (USA)  Seafood fermentation specialist that has created the first whole-cut seafood alternative using its proprietary strain of fungi. Better …

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Photographs by Jellatech, Captured by Camilo F. Muñoz Segovia

Science

Jellatech Announces $2M Pre-seed Round For Animal Free Gelatin & Collagen

North Carolina-based biotech startup Jellatech today announces a $2 million pre-seed fundraise to further develop its cell-based, animal-free collagen and gelatin products which have applications in skincare & cosmetics, and medical & pharmaceutical as well as food & beverage. According to TechCrunch, the global collagen market is expected to reach $7.5 billion by 2027 and the gelatin market is set to hit $6.7 billion over the same period. With conscious consumerism on the rise in the wake of Covid, demand for sustainable, vegan alternatives is increasing globally. Jellatech is producing real collagen and gelatin through cellular agriculture, as opposed to through the isolation of these parts from meat industry byproducts. The company reports that it has received several inquiries from potential customers and partners keen …

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