Meatly reduces bioreactor costs by 95%
A turning point for cultured meat has been reached with the announcement of several historic accomplishments in Meatly’s scientific production method.
As part of this mission to slash production costs, Meatly has concluded the commissioning and first cell growth run in its pilot-scale 320 L novel, low-cost bioreactor. This patented bioreactor, designed in-house by Meatly’s R&D team, will replace the reliance on and use of expensive biopharma bioreactors, which has been a significant barrier for many cultivated meat companies.
The new bioreactor has the biocompatibility, longevity, scalability and overall performance to meet the requirements for cell culture for an industrial cultivated meat facility comprising multiple 20,000L scale bioreactors, which Meatly intends to develop as part of its next funding stage. The newly designed 320 L equipment costs just £12.5K compared to traditional biopharma reactors, which can cost £250k, representing a 95% cost reduction.
Meatly is also announcing it has further dramatically reduced the costs of its protein-free medium to an industry-leading £0.22/L. At industrial scale, the company’s medium costs will be around £0.015/L. This medium has also proven that it is capable of supporting cell growth for over 175 doublings, a substantial improvement on historical medium doubling performance. Meatly’s media is free of any antibiotics, steroids, hormones, or growth factors. This will mean that Meatly Chicken, once scaled, will be priced competitively with average EU chicken breast prices.
This breakthrough underlines Meatly’s leadership in the industry as well as its pace to market. Following on from its regulatory approval back in July of 2024, Meatly and brand partner The Pack launched and sold ‘Chick Bites’ the world’s first cultivated pet food, in Pets at Home in London in February. To date, Meatly has spent £5m, significantly less capital than other cultivated meat companies, proving there is a fast and cost-effective way to scale cultivated meat.
Meatly will now fundraise to create a low-cost industrial facility to profitability scale production of its Meatly Chicken.
Commenting on the news, Helder Cruz, chief scientific officer at Meatly, said: “At Meatly, we have worked tirelessly with the team to bring to reality both our new low-cost bioreactor, as well as a record cheap medium to be used within it.
Many have cast doubt that the industry would ever reach this point – but we’re pleased to prove these critics wrong. We are showing the world that we can produce meat in a kinder, better way, and we can make it at a price which makes it easy for brands to incorporate Meatly Chicken as an affordable ingredient in their existing product range. By reaching price parity, it then becomes a simple and easy choice for consumers to buy better meat for their pets. “
Jim Mellon, executive chairman and co-founder of Agronomics and investor in Meatly adds: “At Agronomics, we couldn’t be prouder of Meatly’s continued success in driving innovation into the cultivated meat sector. Within the food industry, brands and retailers are looking at ways in which they can make their supply chains more secure, as well as sustainable, all while keeping prices stable.”
Meatly Chicken will offer partners the best of both worlds while reducing the reliance on destructive farming methods. We look forward to continuing to support Meatly as Owen, Helder, and the team continue to drive innovation in this sector.
