ORF Genetics , in partnership with South Korean innovator CellMeat, has presented cultivated shellfish In May 2024, ORF Genetics and Ivy Farm Technologies also hosted a tasting event for its cultivated wagyu More recently, CellMeat has begun process development for cultivated meat using ORF Genetics’ MESOkine Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO of ORF Genetics, said: "I am proud of how Iceland has positioned itself I look forward to the growth of CellMeat through developing our collaboration with ORF Genetics and to

Iceland-based ORF Genetics has entered into a partnership with South Korean company SeaWith to boost ORF Genetics specialises in producing animal-free GFs – which are crucial for cell-based meat production Genetics, accelerating its product commercialisation of cell-based meat. Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO of ORF Genetics, said: "This collaboration represents a significant milestone for ORF Genetics, as we are already at the forefront of GF production for cultivated meat.

Last week, ORF Genetics and Ivy Farm Technologies hosted a tasting event for its cultivated wagyu beef discussions with discussions between Riley Jackson from Ivy Farm, Björn Lárus Örvar, co-founder of ORF Genetics and Birgitta Guðrún Schepsky Ásgrímsdóttir, co-founder of Sea Growth. Genetics, taking part in this. Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO of ORF Genetics, added: “It's wonderful to be able to offer Icelanders

Icelandic biotech ORF Genetics and Australian cell-based meat company Vow have announced the success Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO of ORF Genetics, commented: "We are excited to bring this innovative, novel ORF's barley-grown growth factors allow cultured meat companies like Vow not only to grow but to rapidly That is why we are so excited to partner with ORF to announce today that Icelanders will be the first

square-metres and with 2300-square metres designated for production, the facility has the capacity to generate ORF Genetics and Vow announce success of cell-based meat tasting in Europe Earlier this year, Icelandic biotech ORF Genetics and Australian cell-based meat company Vow announced the success of a cultured Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO of ORF Genetics, commented: "We are excited to bring this innovative, novel ORF's barley-grown growth factors allow cultured meat companies like Vow not only to grow but to rapidly

Key differences Genetic modification: Molecular farming usually involves genetically modifying plants ORF Genetics Established in Iceland in 2001, ORF Genetics manufactures recombinant proteins, including Additionally, ORF Genetics has developed advanced seed technology designed to enhance yield. Furthermore, ORF Genetics can adapt its processing techniques to better suit food production needs, including protein in the seed,” Björn Örvar, ORF Genetics’ co-founder, CSO and EVP of business development, said

Thursday (15 May), where Ivy Farm co-hosted the first-ever tasting of cultivated beef in the Nordics with ORF Genetics, a producer of recombinant animal growth factors derived from barley seeds.

Icelandic start-up ORF Genetics showcased its expertise in producing recombinant animal-free growth factors

Enduro Genetics, a synthetic biology start-up, has successfully raised €12 million in Series A funding Biomanufacturing relies heavily on genetically engineered microorganisms to produce a range of products Enduro Genetics aims to tackle this issue with its proprietary technology, known as Enduro Sense. By integrating a genetic plug-in into microbial production hosts, Enduro Sense aligns the health and Enduro Genetics has already established collaborations with leading players in the biomanufacturing sector

genome-wide data linked to cellular function, Triplebar restructure to increase its focus on developing generative Through the data sets Triplebar generates daily, in combination with the restructuring, Triplebar expects

Even in this limited context, the sector could generate approximately 45,000 jobs by 2030 and 115,000

New advancements in the cultivated meat sector are defying early skepticism and surpassing expectations. A report from Lever VC reveals how the industry has broken through cost barriers once deemed insurmountable, with production costs plummeting and media costs dropping below $1 per litre. We explore... The world’s first cultivated beef burger debuted in 2013 with a staggering production cost of €250,000, skepticism about the scalability of cultivated meat was widespread. Techno-economic assessments (TEAs), like the influential study by David Humbird, projected that achieving media costs below $1 per litre was critical but highly unlikely. Humbird also concluded that even with media costs under $1 per litre and extremely large-scale production, reaching production costs below $16 per kilogram was essentially impossible. The Counter further asserted that such cost reductions were implausible, fuelling media narratives from outlets like Bloomberg and WSJ that cast doubt on the industry's future viability. Comparisons were made to other technologies, such as solar panels and electric vehicles, which faced early criticism for being too costly and complex to scale, only to later revolutionise their industries. Similar to the solar panel and electric vehicle industries, which were long criticised for being too complex, inefficient, lacking the necessary infrastructure and prohibitively expensive, cultivated meat faces similar skepticism today. However, just as those industries eventually surpassed these expectations and revolutionised their fields, cultivated meat holds similar potential. The success of solar panels and electric vehicles was driven by technical innovation and perseverance within the industry, as well as significant support from government funding and supportive legislation – a level of backing that cultivated meat has not yet received. Critics once argued that these technologies would never become affordable or efficient enough to reach mass adoption, but relentless innovation and scaling efforts proved them wrong, ultimately transforming entire industries and setting new standards for cost efficiency and environmental impact. Update: Costs plummeted and expectations surpassed Today, the cultivated meat industry has decisively proven the skeptics wrong. Lever VC has directly observed multiple companies achieving groundbreaking cost reductions. Media costs – the centrepiece of many early critiques – have dropped below $1 per litre, a critical milestone once deemed unreachable. At least three companies are operating at or below $0.50 per litre, with at least one significantly undercutting even that figure. These achievements have translated to production costs for cell mass as low as $10 to $15 per kilogram, with some leading-edge companies achieving costs as low as $8 per kilogram. Lever VC’s internal analysis corroborates these advancements, which reflect the industry’s rapid maturation. Companies are not only slashing media costs but also innovating in bioreactor design, opting for tailored, food-grade solutions that bypass expensive pharmaceutical-grade materials. This progress highlights how quickly the cultivated meat sector has adapted and scaled, outpacing early TEA projections by Humbird and others. How costs will come down further While the industry has achieved remarkable milestones, further cost reductions are on the horizon. Companies are employing a range of innovative strategies to continue driving down costs: Hybrid products: By blending cultivated meat with plant-based ingredients, companies can reduce the amount of cell mass required while maintaining the desired taste and texture. Undifferentiated cell mass: Focusing on producing basic cell mass, rather than fully structured tissue, simplifies production and lowers costs. In-house media production: Cultivated meat companies are producing growth factors internally, eliminating third-party pharmaceutical markups and ensuring consistent quality. Efficient bioreactors: Leveraging innovations such as continuous production models and perfusion reactors to increase yields while reducing overall capital expenditure. These approaches represent pragmatic, scalable solutions designed to ensure that cultivated meat remains on a trajectory toward mass affordability. Conclusion The remarkable progress of the cultivated meat industry in just two years has shattered earlier TEA projections and media narratives that doubted its viability. Media costs below $1 per litre and production costs as low as $8 per kilogram are no longer theoretical goals – they are realities. Lever VC has witnessed firsthand how cultivated meat companies have harnessed innovation and determination to achieve these breakthroughs, echoing the transformative trajectories of technologies once dismissed as unattainable. As the industry continues to innovate, it is proving that cultivated meat has the potential to reshape food production on a global scale. The reality may differ from the original visions of cultivated meat pioneers, but cultivated meat is undeniably poised to drive our food system toward a more sustainable future.