The Israeli biotech SuperMeat, which makes lab-grown chicken, has raised $3M in seed funding and has formed a strategic partnership with PHW, one of Europe’s largest poultry producers. Two years ago Supermeat crowdfunded $230,000 using Indiegogo.
SuperMeat’s "clean meat" is produced by growing cells that have been painlessly extracted from a chicken. The cells are then grown in conditions that allow them to thrive, forming high-quality chicken cuts. This process puts an end to the industrial need to mass produce animals for slaughter, while eliminating exposure to animal waste and food-borne illnesses; the potential benefits for public health and animal welfare are therefore considerable. At the same time, clean meat is also highly beneficial for the environment, with drastically reduced carbon and ecological footprints compared to current meat production methods. According to research conducted by Oxford and Amsterdam Universities, switching to clean meat will allow a reduction of up to 98% in greenhouse gas emissions, 99% in land exploitation, and up to 96% in water usage.
With the recently secured funding, the Tel-Aviv-based company expects to bring its clean chicken products to market in the very near future, at a price point similar to the conventional chicken products currently available on store shelves.