Umami Bioworks

© Umami Bioworks

Pet Food

Umami Bioworks and Friends & Family Set to Pilot Cultivated Seafood Pet Food Across Europe and Asia

Umami Bioworks has announced a new partnership with Friends & Family Pet Food Company to launch cultivated pet food in select international markets. The collaboration will focus on introducing sustainable, high-quality protein sources for pets, with a particular emphasis on cultivated seafood. The initiative will pilot in Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. This partnership follows a recent milestone for Umami Bioworks, which has successfully registered two cultivated …

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The Prefer team

© Prefer

Investments & Finance

Prefer Raises $4.2M in Oversubscribed Round, Launches Soluble Coffee & Cocoa Powders Made With Fermentation

Singapore-based food tech startup Prefer has secured US$4.2 million in an oversubscribed funding round. This brings the total amount raised by the company to US$6.2 million. The round was led by At One Ventures and Chancery Hill Capital, with participation from existing investor Forge Ventures. The news comes as Prefer announces the commercial launch of its new soluble coffee and cocoa powders, made using a proprietary precision fermentation process. Prefer’s …

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Bezos Centre and EnterpriseSG launch startup competition for sustainable proteins

© Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein

Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Bezos Centre @NUS Partners With Enterprise Singapore to Launch Sustainable Protein Startup Competition

The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the National University of Singapore (Bezos Centre @NUS) has partnered with Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) to launch a new startup competition that aims to accelerate early-stage sustainable protein innovation. The competition will identify and support startups developing sustainable protein solutions, selecting three winners through a competitive pitching process. Each will receive funding and in-kind support, gaining access to Singapore’s comprehensive ecosystem of resources. The …

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Startlife

© Startlife

Non-Food

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, …

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Friends & Family Pet Food Co

© Friends & Family Pet Food Co.

Approvals

Friends & Family Pet Food Co. Receives Regulatory Approval for Cultivated Pet Food in Singapore

U.S.-based Friends & Family Pet Food Company has received regulatory approval to sell its cultivated meat-based pet food in Singapore. The approval was issued by Singapore’s Animal & Veterinary Services (AVS) last month. Friends & Family claims to be the first ever cultivated meat pet food producer to be approved for sale in Asia. The company’s first products will be freeze-dried treats for cats and dogs, made with human-grade cultivated …

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Fairs & Events

Webtalk: Rethinking Food – APAC as a Living Lab for the Future | update #15

The international business webtalk series ‘update’ discusses the most pressing issues of the ongoing protein transition. Based on the latest news, data, and facts, the future of the industry will be put forward and discussed with key market players in this series of talks. Rethinking Food – Singapore as a Living Lab for the Future August 21st, 10:30 AM Berlin | 4:30 PM Singapore | 5:30 PM Tokyo Alternative Protein and Novel food offer a …

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Cell AgriTech pilot plant

© Cell AgriTech

Manufacturing & Technology

Cell AgriTech to Open Cellular Agriculture Pilot Plant in Singapore With Contract Manufacturing Model

Biotech startup Cell AgriTech has announced that it is opening a pilot plant in Singapore, which it describes as a “launchpad for cellular agriculture production”. The facility will be operational by next month, offering an affordable contract manufacturing model where startups and cultivated meat companies can scale or validate their concepts without any upfront CAPEX or OPEX costs. On LinkedIn, Cell AgriTech lists a variety of advantages to the service, …

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seaweed stock

Image: Oleksandr Sushko on Unsplash

Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

Seaweed-Based Growth Media Could Replace Traditional Cell Culture Media in Cultivated Meat Production

A new research project led by James Cook University (JCU) and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is investigating the use of seaweed as a potential alternative to traditional cell culture media in the production of cultivated meat and seafood. This initiative seeks to address the challenges of sustainability, cost, and ethics in cellular agriculture by utilizing seaweed’s abundance and fast-growing nature. Turning seaweed into meat The project, named SeaToMeat …

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Turion Labs

© Turion Labs

Manufacturing & Technology

Turion Labs Launches in Singapore to Expand Biotech Infrastructure Across Southeast Asia

Turion Labs, a new biotech platform formed by South Korea’s S&S LAB and Indonesia’s Future Lestari, has launched operations in Singapore with plans to build out a regional network of facilities designed to support early-stage biotech ventures. The initiative, introduced during Ecosperity Week, marks the establishment of what the company describes as Southeast Asia’s first full-stack biotech innovation platform. Integrated support for biotech startups Turion Labs combines shared laboratory infrastructure, …

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Meatable

© Meatable

Meat

TruMeat and Meatable Partner to Build First High-Volume Cultivated Meat Facility in Singapore

Meatable and TruMeat have entered into a strategic collaboration to advance the global commercialization of cultivated meat. The partnership will center on optimizing production processes and developing culture media, as well as constructing a new, high-tech facility in Singapore. This facility will be operated by TruMeat and will utilize Meatable’s technology to produce cultivated meat at scale, with a focus on achieving price competitiveness with conventional meat. The new facility …

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