Qorium Raises €22M to Scale Production of Cultivated Leather
Qorium, a Dutch biotech company producing cultivated leather, has secured €22 million in Series A funding. Participants in the round included Invest-NL, LIOF, Brightlands Venture Partners, and Sofinnova Partners, along with an influential group of high-net-worth individuals. The Invest-NL investment has been made under the European Commission’s InvestEU guarantee scheme. Qorium is currently installing new bioreactor systems at its Maastricht facilities and has already established several commercial partnerships. The company …
Umami Bioworks Launches Cultivated Marine Supplement Line, Expands into Beauty Sector with New Collaboration
Umami Bioworks has launched a new line of cultivated marine supplements under its Marine Radiance™ brand, which the company claims to be the world’s first. The new supplements, developed using the company’s ALKEMYST™ AI platform, target the growing consumer demand for marine-derived nutrition, which is recognized for supporting heart health, brain function, skin vitality, and longevity. Sustainable solution to supply chain challenges The company claims the supplements provide a solution …
Cultivated Biomaterials to Launch Crowdfunding Campaign for “World’s First” Cultivated Leather Jewelry
US-based company Cultivated Biomaterials is preparing to launch a Kickstarter campaign for what is claimed to be the world’s first cultivated leather jewelry. The leather is produced using the cultivated skin cells of a cow named Angel, who lives at Sweet Farm sanctuary in New York state. It is tissue-engineered with a patent-pending technology platform; the process involves the use of sustainable plant-based scaffolds, novel scalable bioreactors, and fully animal-free …
Umami Bioworks Marine Cell Cultivation Delivers PDRN Without Reliance on Salmon Sperm Harvesting
Singapore-based biotechnology company Umami Bioworks has introduced Marine Radiance™, a platform for developing marine-derived bioactives, and announced what it says is the world’s first animal‑free polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) for use across skincare and medical applications. PDRN, a compound used in anti-aging skincare, wound healing, and regenerative medicine, is currently sourced from salmon sperm. This conventional method involves transporting salmon reproductive organs across global supply chains, a process that raises logistical, ethical, …
Geltor Closes Equity Financing Round for Animal-Free Beauty Ingredients, Bringing Total Amount Raised to $137M
Geltor, a biodesign company developing sustainable, animal-free proteins for the beauty and wellness industries, has completed a new equity financing round that brings the total amount it has raised to $137 million. The round was co-led by iSelect Fund and included significant participation from existing investors. Following the raise, Geltor will make targeted investments in several areas, including expanding its biodesigned polypeptide portfolio to new regions, bringing new solutions to …
Cellugy Secures €8.1M to Remove Microplastics From the Personal Care Industry With New Bio-Based Alternative
BIOCARE4LIFE, a project by Danish biotech company Cellugy, has received an €8.1 million grant from the EU’s LIFE Programme, which provides funding to projects supporting environment and climate action. The funding will be used to scale up the production of Cellugy’s biofabricated cellulose-based rheology modifier material, EcoFLEXY. Made using fermentation, the vegan-friendly material is designed to replace fossil-based carbomers, which are often considered microplastics, in cosmetics. BIOCARE4LIFE will work on …
Avant’s Zellulin Cell-Cultured Peptide Becomes First Non-Food Product to Earn C-Label Certification
Avant’s Zellulin® ZelluGEN™ has achieved a milestone in the growing field of cellular agriculture by becoming the first non-food product to receive the C-Label certification. The C-Label, created by V-Label, is a standard that aims to ensure transparency and ethical practices in products derived from cellular agriculture. Zellulin® ZelluGEN™, a multi-peptide complex derived from fish cells, is produced through cell cultivation rather than traditional animal sourcing, positioning it as a …