Shanghai-based start-up CellX has announced plans to build China’s first cultivated meat pilot plant. The facility will be built in partnership with Tofflon, a one-stop bio/pharmaceutical solution provider. This plant will host multiple thousand-liter bioreactors and be China’s first “transparent food space” for cultivated meat, R&D, production, and public tastings. The companies unveiled renders of the future space at the partnership signing event and announced the facility is expected to be complete within a year.
"With the experience and expertise accumulated in the field of biopharma and food production, Tofflon will help CellX to speed the scaling up of its cultivated meat products and it hopes to contribute to a sustainable future for humankind." - Xiaodong Zheng, Tofflon Chariman.
“Besides being the world’s largest meat market, China is also an emerging leader in the field of biomanufacturing. Thanks to its booming biotech industry, China is quickly building a strong infrastructure and supply chain…I look forward to working with Tofflon to bring cultivated meat to consumers in China and around the world.” - Ziliang Yang, CellX Co-founder and CEO.
Last year CellX became the most funded cultivated meat company in China after raising $10.6 million in a series A funding from investors including Lever VC, Agronomic, Joyvio Capital, Better Bite Ventures, and SALT. The company also entered a strategic partnership with Bluu Seafood to promote consumer acceptance of cultivated meat and overcome challenges with sourcing, scaling, and regulatory approvals. CellX is a founding member of the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture Consortium to support future food technology.
Image Credit: CellX