UK-based cultivated fat producer Hoxton Farms and Japanese chemical manufacturer Mitsui Chemicals have entered a strategic partnership to advance biomanufacturing infrastructure in Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region. The collaboration combines Hoxton Farms’ proprietary cell culture technology with Mitsui Chemicals’ materials science and production expertise.
“We need a new generation of biomanufacturing infrastructure”
The agreement includes joint efforts to scale and commercialise modular bioreactor systems developed by Hoxton Farms, which are engineered for large-scale, cost-efficient cell cultivation. Mitsui Chemicals has also made a strategic investment in Hoxton Farms as part of the deal.
Max Jamilly, CEO and co-founder of Hoxton Farms, said the collaboration is intended to accelerate the development of industrial-scale biomanufacturing. “As demand for sustainable alternatives grows across industries, we need a new generation of biomanufacturing infrastructure.”
Initial focus on cultivated fat
The partnership will initially focus on cultivated fat for use in food manufacturing, while also exploring applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable materials. Hoxton Farms’ primary product, Hoxton Fat, is cultivated pork fat grown from stem cells and designed as a direct replacement for conventional animal fats and plant oils in processed foods.
Mitsui Chemicals brings experience in process engineering, international manufacturing, and advanced materials that could improve the durability and scalability of Hoxton Farms’ modular systems. Shunsuke Fujii, General Manager of Mitsui Chemicals’ New Business Incubation Center, noted: “We are very excited about the great potential of Hoxton Farms’ future biomanufacturing technology.
“Starting with Hoxton Fat, an innovative and delicious ingredient that aligns with the sustainability policy of Mitsui Chemicals Group, we look forward to working together to establish an ecosystem for a wide range of applications and worldwide regions.”
Asia’s bioeconomy boom
This agreement comes as Japan expands its industrial biomanufacturing sector under its Bioeconomy Strategy, with similar moves underway in South Korea and China. These national efforts show the regional interest in replacing petrochemical- and animal-based inputs with biology-driven alternatives.
Hoxton Farms has also recently signed a partnership with Sumitomo Corporation, another major Japanese conglomerate, to support the introduction of Hoxton Fat to Asia-Pacific markets.
While cultivated fat remains the initial application, Hoxton Farms’ technology platform is designed for broader use in the development of cell-based compounds and bioengineered products, including cosmetics and bio-based chemicals. The companies will jointly assess additional applications for the technology across high-value sectors that require scalable, localised production infrastructure.
Jamilly continued, “Mitsui Chemicals is the perfect partner to help us scale our platform, not just for Hoxton Fat, but for a broader bioeconomy.”
