A joint venture between Migros, Givaudan and Bühler, The Cultured Hub opened its doors yesterday (3 December) in Kemptthal, Switzerland.

The new scale-up and growth service aims to shake-up the cultivated food space by accelerating the development and market penetration of cell-ag products.

The facility is equipped with product development labs and cell culture and fermentation capabilities and equipment. It is designed to empower start-ups and organisations to scale up and accelerate the development of market-ready, sustainable, healthy and affordable products.

The Hub offers a technology platform that extends beyond food and can support the development of diverse products, such as meat, fish, dairy, pet food and plant-based cells like cocoa – as well as cosmetics and selective pharma applications.

Yannick Gaechter, CEO of The Cultured Hub, commented: “The launch of The Cultured Hub is a pivotal moment in the global push for sustainable food production. The opening of this facility is not just an achievement for our team, but a landmark moment for the industry. We are excited to open a facility that will enable start-ups to scale up without heavy capital investment and contribute to global food system improvements.”

Companies can use the Hub to scale up their processes from small-scale laboratory experiments to 1,000-litre pilot operations without investing in expensive assets or diluting equity. This capability is set to bridge the gap between research and commercial production, enabling companies to demonstrate and refine their processes efficiently.

The Hub is able to host three companies working simultaneously, each in fully separated suites, fostering an environment of collaboration and innovation.

The JV leverages centuries of collective experience in food processing, product development, production, marketing and market launches. All three companies (Migros, Givaudan and Bühler) position the hub with a unique access point for knowledge, skills, technology and retail and consumer understanding.

Ian Roberts, CTO of Bühler Group, said: “The Cultured Hub is designed to bridge the scale-up gap for companies, enabling them to retain equity, protect intellectual property and fast-track their journey to market without high capital investment. We are thrilled to bring together industry players and create a collaborative environment that will drive significant advancements in the industry.”

Fabio Campanile, global head of science and technology taste and wellbeing at Givaudan, added: “As a global leader in flavours, taste, functional and nutritional solutions, with deep expertise in biotech, Givaudan is committed to unlocking new opportunities in the cellular agriculture space and contributing to the transformation of the global food system. Through the Cultured Hub, and the ecosystem we are building with start-ups, partners and customers, we look forward to co-creating new, game-changing solutions that meet consumer demand for healthier, more planet-friendly products.”

Matthew Robin, CEO of Elsa Group at Migros Industries, concluded: “The Cultured Hub represents a paradigm shift in how we approach food production. As Switzerland’s largest retailer, Migros is dedicated to offering choice to consumers, including innovative, sustainable food solutions.”

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