- The SuperMeat open-source system claims to reduce production costs for the cultivated meat industry and is supported by Israeli Innovation Authority Grant
Israeli food tech SuperMeat has received a grant from the Israeli Innovation Authority to establish what it claims will be the world’s largest open-source screening system to aid the entire cultivated meat industry. SuperMeat claims its new high throughput screening system for optimizing cultivated meat feed ingredients will accelerate the burgeoning cultivated industry towards commercial viability.
The fresh grant funds will support the open high-throughput screening system for cultivated meat feed ingredients, helping to significantly reduce costs of what is the largest expense in cultivated meat production. Despite a trend in falling production costs, the level is still too high and currently presents one of the biggest hurdles for the commercialization of cultivated meat.
The open high-throughput system will screen hundreds of thousands of cultivated meat media ingredients, supplements, and cell scaffolds every month to identify the highest quality ingredients with the lowest costs. As part of this effort, SuperMeat partnered with Thermo Fisher Scientific, which provided what it claims is the world’s most advanced screening platform and will support the development and operation of the system.
“An open platform for commercialization”
The announcement comes after two recent strategic partnerships for SuperMeat on the path to commercialization. One with Ajinomoto, a global food ingredient and biotechnology leader, to establish a commercially viable supply chain platform for the cultivated meat industry. The other includes a memorandum of understanding with PHW Group, one of Europe’s largest poultry producers to manufacture and distribute cultivated meat on a large scale.
“The Israeli Innovation Authority has long been a leader in innovation of all kinds. We are honored to receive its support to help pave the way to a standard for a healthier, more sustainable food system for all,” stated Ido Savir, CEO of SuperMeat. “The system establishment supported by this grant will allow SuperMeat to leverage the cultivated meat production technology it has built to help reduce costs and provide the cultivated meat industry an open platform for commercialization through its strategic partners globally.”
