UK-based foodtech Meatly, which develops cultivated meat for pet food using cells grown from a single chicken egg, has secured £10.4 million in Series A funding backed by Oyster Bay Venture Capital, Clean Growth Fund, and JamJar Investments, alongside existing investors Agronomics and Pets at Home.
- Founded in 2022 by Owen Ensor, Meatlydevelops cultivated meat for pet food using animal cell cultivation technology. The UK-based foodtech company grows real meat from cells taken from a single chicken egg, cultivating them in bioreactors using nutrient-rich media rather than raising and slaughtering animals.
- Meatly says around 20% of global meat production is used for pet food, positioning cultivated protein as a lower-impact alternative for the sector. In 2024, the company received regulatory approval and later became the first company in Europe to sell cultivated pet food.
- Meatly also reported reducing the cost of its protein-free cultivation medium to £0.22 per litre and cutting bioreactor costs by around 10x as it works toward large-scale commercial production.
Details of the deal
- Meatly will use the £10.4 million Series A funding to build a 20,000-litre bioreactor facility in London, set to become Europe’s largest cultivated meat production site.
- The investment will help the company scale commercial production after achieving major cost reductions in cultivation media and bioreactor technology, while supporting new product launches planned from 2027 as demand for sustainable protein alternatives grows.
