California-based Omeat has emerged from stealth mode with a plan to dramatically cut animal protein costs and create a scaleable and sustainable system to meet global demand. Founded in 2019, Omeat has developed a patented new approach that uses humanely collected plasma from cows, avoiding the need for artificial growth factors and reducing the cost and complexity of meat production.
“The conventional approach to meat production comes with major adverse effects on the environment, public health, and animal welfare. We saw an opportunity to leverage our expertise to discover a scalable way to grow cultivated meat. The approach we uncovered and are currently scaling is a simple and elegant solution that taps into the natural biology of animals to let nature do its work. The result is real meat that’s pure, delicious, and can satisfy a growing population’s demand for meat in a sustainable and humane way.” - Ali Khademhosseini, Omeat founder.
Working with leading animal-welfare scientist Dr. Kristina Horback of UC Davis, Omeat developed plasma collection processes that ensure the holistic wellbeing of the 75 rescued Holstein cows that live on its 30-acre farm. The farm, once severely-degraded land, has been converted into a lush grassland with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon negative through regenerative agriculture processes.
Omeat raised $40 million in a Series A funding round last year with support from investors including S2G Ventures, Google Ventures (GV), Bold Capital Partners, Tyson Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods, Inc., Rethink Food, Trailhead Capital, and Cavallo Ventures. The company is seeking approval from the FDA and USDA in hopes of becoming the third company approved to sell cultivated meat in the United States.
Image Credit: Omeat