In the intricate tapestry of food evolution, there's a fresh thread that has seamlessly woven its way into the narrative: Meatable, the vanguard in the cultivated meat sector. With the charisma of a visionary start-up and the gravitas of an established institution, this industry-leading food tech venture has recently heralded a significant milestone. 

Nestled in the quaint landscape of the Netherlands, Meatable celebrated a successful financial round, having amassed a sumptuous $35 million. Agronomics, well-regarded for its acumen in the sector, led the investment march. The narrative is further enriched by the entrée of Invest-NL, a Dutch impact fund, which made a significant contribution of $17 million. The tableau of financial backers is colored with familiar strokes as previous supporters like BlueYard, Bridford, MilkyWay, DSM Venturing, and Taavet Hinrikus (the illustrious chairman and founder of Wise) reaffirmed their commitment.

Krijn de Nood, the co-founder and CEO of Meatable, remarked, “We’re thrilled to welcome Invest-NL as a new investor and to have the renewed support from our existing investors. This is a huge sign of confidence in the incredible quality, taste, and proven scalability of our product, especially in the current investment climate.” His sentiment is one that elucidates the crux of our global ecological dilemma. He went on to say, “When 14% of the world’s global emissions come from the traditional meat industry, it’s clear that there needs to be an alternative that reduces the harm our diets are currently causing the planet. We believe cultivated meat is the answer, and we are confident we have the tools and the processes in place to make this a reality.”

The robust consumer appetite for meat has long cast a shadow on our planet. The cost of such demands? Well, a study by CE Delft brings it to light, suggesting that cultivated meat might reduce the ecological footprint of conventional beef by staggering percentages—92% in greenhouse gas emissions and 95% in land use. This is why investors have poured nearly $900 million into the sector in 2022 alone, and in fact, the Netherlands has, in recent memory, championed cellular agriculture with the world’s most generous public investment.

Underpinning Meatable's lofty ambitions is a refined technological dance. Their patented opti-ox™ technology, in harmony with pluripotent stem cells, allows the company to replicate the natural cell growth of an animal. This innovative methodology means that within a mere eight days, Meatable can produce real muscle and fat cells—an efficiency that surpasses the time needed to rear a farm pig by an astonishing 30-fold. Daan Luining, the company's co-founder and CTO, reflected on this evolution: “Farming has been revolutionized in the past 100 years to keep up with feeding a growing global population. Cultivated meat is the next revolution.”

But what does the future hold for Meatable? To truly make an impact, cultivated meat needs to be widely available. Meatable is launching its first commercial products in Singapore starting in 2024 and is partnering with the relevant authorities to secure regulatory approval. The company has already successfully held its first external tasting events in Singapore earlier in 2023, following approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). In addition, it has started production of its products on the ground together with Esco Aster, the first and only commercially licensed cultivated meat manufacturer in Singapore, and has begun co-development of its product range with plant-based butcher Love Handle.  

And with their eyes set on the sprawling landscape of the United States, their mission to make cultivated meat a global staple without compromising on taste, ethics, or environmental responsibility, is palpable.

Jim Mellon, a visionary in his own right and the co-founder of Agronomics, shared his thoughts: “Meatable is one of the leading companies helping to transform the cultivated meat industry. The latest funding round will allow the company to scale up production in Singapore, and soon in the US, as it moves towards commercialization.”

On the other side of the investment coin, Bastiaan Gielink of Invest-NL opined, “At Invest-NL, we are genuinely excited about the pioneering endeavors undertaken by Meatable. Cultured meat has the potential to deliver unrivaled impact. The breakthroughs achieved by Meatable have convinced us that they possess the know-how and team to make this potential a reality.”

In the ceaseless saga of food innovation, Meatable is not merely another chapter. It could very well be the beginning of an entirely new volume.