Sydney-based cultivated meat startup Vow has announced the layoff of 25 employees, accounting for nearly a third of its workforce, as the company seeks to secure new funding to extend its operational runway into 2027. Startup Daily reports that the redundancies, described as a “painful but necessary decision” by CEO George Peppou, reflect the broader challenges faced by startups operating in the cultivated meat sector, which requires navigating complex regulatory landscapes and securing investor confidence in a tightening funding environment.
“This process is not a reflection on our departing team members but rather on what Vow needs to achieve in the next two years”
Despite its growing international footprint, Vow has yet to receive regulatory approval to serve its products in its home market of Australia. The company submitted its application to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) in 2023, with FSANZ launching a second round of public consultation in late 2024. Approval for its cultivated quail cells as a food ingredient would mark a significant milestone for the company, though the regulatory process has taken longer than anticipated.
“Given the complexity and novelty of the regulatory process for cultured meat, it has taken far longer than initially expected to secure regulatory approval in the markets which Vow has targeted,” Peppou explained to Startup Daily. He emphasized that this delay was not a reflection of regulatory inefficiencies but rather the rigorous care required to ensure the safety and oversight of this emerging food category.
Vow, co-founded in 2019 by Tim Noakesmith and George Peppou, gained international attention for its development of lab-grown meat derived from the cells of over 50 animal species, including kangaroo, alpaca, and fish. The company is best known for its creation of the “woolly mammoth meatball,” as well as its more recent product launches, such as Forged Gras, a cultivated alternative to foie gras, and Forged Parfait, a quail-based dish.
Recent milestones and market progress
In 2024, Vow achieved several key milestones despite the hurdles. In April, it received regulatory approval to launch its cultivated quail product in Singapore, making it one of the few companies worldwide with clearance to sell cultivated meat. Building on this momentum, the company unveiled its Forged Gras product—a foie gras alternative cultivated from quail cells—in Hong Kong in November. The product has been served in select high-end restaurants, offering a cruelty-free alternative to traditional foie gras, which is banned in multiple countries due to the controversial practice of force-feeding ducks and geese.
However, scaling production and expanding market access remain critical challenges for the cultivated meat industry. As Peppou highlighted, out of the more than 200 companies operating in the sector globally, only three, including Vow, have secured regulatory approvals to sell their products.
“Vow is the only company in the world to have solved two of the three main challenges—scale and market demand—and is leading the world in market access,” said Peppou. “This success is unprecedented in an industry where many others have failed.”
The workforce reductions, which began on Friday, are part of Vow’s efforts to streamline operations and focus on bringing its products to more markets. Peppou expressed admiration for the outgoing employees, referring to them as “exceptionally talented, dedicated, and hardworking individuals who substantially contributed to the success of Vow.”
Peppou acknowledged that the decision to reduce staff was driven by financial necessity rather than performance issues. “The reality is that in order for Vow to continue to grow and thrive, we must get leaner and focus our entire efforts on activities that put our products into more markets and onto more consumers’ plates,” he said.
Investor confidence
Despite the recent layoffs, Vow continues to retain the support of its key investors. Blackbird Ventures, a major backer of the startup, expressed confidence in the company’s long-term vision. “Vow has an ambitious vision and has made meaningful strides in creating a novel, delicious product that people love,” a spokesperson for Blackbird said to Startup Daily.
Vow previously raised $73.5 million in a Series A funding round in 2022, led by Blackbird and Prosperity 7 Ventures, with additional support from Square Peg and Hostplus. This followed an earlier $7.7 million seed round in 2021, which included investment from Grok Ventures, the family fund of Australian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes.
As Vow works to finalize its next round of funding, Peppou remains optimistic about the company’s future and its ability to further establish cultivated meat as a viable and sustainable alternative to conventional animal agriculture. He continued, “This process is not a reflection on our departing team members but rather on what Vow needs to achieve in the next two years.”
