Big Idea Ventures (BIV), a global leader in early-stage investments in the alternative protein and food innovation sectors, is pleased to announce that Novel Farms Inc, a BIV portfolio company and Berkeley-based food technology startup, has developed the “world’s first” marbled cultivated pork loin.
Cultivated meat has the potential to relieve the strain in our food system by providing animal protein while offering human health, environmental and animal welfare benefits. While many cultivated meat companies have made tremendous technological progress, producing conventional meat cuts through cell culturing remains a significant challenge.
Novel Farms solves the structuring problem by producing low-cost, edible, and highly customizable scaffolds using a proprietary microbial fermentation approach. Their tissue development platform gives them an important and unique advantage against competitors by not only providing them with the capability to structure meat from any animal species but also doing it in a very cost-effective way.
Big Idea Ventures saw the promise in this technology and were among the first investors that helped Novel Farms raise an additional $1.4 million in a pre-seed round.
“We have worked with Novel Farms from their earliest days and are excited about what they have accomplished in the cultivated meat category. They have always tackled the scale-up challenges with fresh and novel approaches and Big Idea Ventures is glad to support them throughout their journey as true innovation leaders. Novel Farms are ones to watch, support and partner with as they bring sustainable protein to the world market,” said Andrew D. Ive, Managing General Partner for Big Idea Ventures.
By investing in Novel Farms, Big Idea Ventures has furthered its involvement in the cultivated meats industry with the mission of solving food security in an ethical and sustainable manner.
About Big Idea Ventures
Big Idea Ventures (BIV) is solving the world’s greatest challenges by supporting the world’s best entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers. Its first fund, the New Protein Fund ($50M+ AUM) invests in global alternative protein companies at the pre-seed stage via its accelerator program and seed to series A via direct investment. New Protein Fund I is backed by leading food corporations including AAK, Avril, Bel Group, Bühler Group, Givaudan, NR Instant Produce, Meiji, Tyson Ventures, and Temasek Holdings. To date, Big Idea Ventures has invested in more than 90 alternative protein companies across 22 countries. New Protein Fund II and Generation Food Rural Partners, focused on technologies for rural communities will open in 2022. For more visit www.bigideaventures.com
About Novel Farms
Novel Farms is dedicated to craft whole cuts of cultivated meat delicacies and bring culinary excellence and sustainability into the future of food. By cultivating meat from conventional as well as highly prized animal breeds, they seek to captivate the palates of all meat lovers while satisfying environmentally-conscious eaters. For more visit www.novelfarms.co.