AQUA Cultured Foods Debuts its Unique, Raw ‘Tuna’ at Chicago Michelin Restaurant
After achieving GRAS status earlier this year, AQUA Cultured Foods‘ long-awaited, fermentation-derived alternatives to raw seafood have finally launched into foodservice. Mama Delia, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Chicago owned by Chef Marcos Campos Sanchez, has introduced AQUA Tuna as part of the restaurant’s ‘Atún Crudo’ (raw tuna) dish. The dish comes with potato strings and fried eggs, but it can be vegan upon request. Atún Crudo is just …
Wanda Fish Unveils its First Cultivated Bluefin Tuna Product: Toro Sashimi
Israeli cultivated seafood startup Wanda Fish announces that it has successfully developed its first cultivated bluefin tuna prototype: toro sashimi. Wanda Fish claims that its whole cut, crafted from the muscle and fat cells of bluefin tuna, offers the same sensory features and a comparable protein and omega-3 fatty acids ratio to the wild fish’s fatty underbelly (called toro in Japanese gastronomy). The company says it enlisted skilled chefs to demonstrate the …
BlueNalu Secures $33.5M to Expand Cultivated Toro Platform Ahead of Launch
US-based cultivated seafood company BlueNalu has raised $33.5 million from new and existing investors in a Series B round, announces Agronomics, the UK’s leading biotech VC with a strong portfolio of cell ag companies, including BlueNalu. The new funds will allow BlueNalu to scale the production of cultivated toro (the high-value portion of bluefin tuna) and demonstrate the technological capabilities of its platform to create whole-muscle products. BlueNalu is based in …
Wanda Fish Technologies Raises $7M for Pilot Production of Cultivated Bluefin Tuna
Israeli food tech Wanda Fish Technologies announces it has secured $7 million in seed funding to scale the production of its first product — cultivated bluefin tuna whole-cut filet. The company claims that its cultivated bluefin tuna, produced according to non-GMO standards, replicates the texture, flavor, and nutritional value of wild-caught fish without ocean pollutants like mercury. The round was led by Netherlands-based global aquaculture investment fund Aqua-Spark, with additional funding from …
BlueNalu Strengthens Deals with APAC Seafood Leaders to Introduce Cultivated Bluefin Tuna in Asian Markets
US-based cultivated seafood company BlueNalu has announced extended and improved partnerships with three prominent seafood APAC industry leaders: Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, South Korea’s Pulmuone Co. Ltd., and Thai Union. The expanded collaborations include independent Memorandums of Understanding with each company to support BlueNalu in developing market strategies to launch its sustainable cultivated bluefin tuna in the region over the coming years. The strategic partners will support the biotech in three areas including market …
Aqua Cultured Foods to Begin First Public Tastings of Alt-Tuna, Shrimp and Scallops
US food tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods announces it will begin consumer tastings of its seafood alternatives in Chicago, ahead of its public launch through chef partners and foodservice distributors. Beginning April 6, the startup will hold tastings of several alt-seafood products, including Aqua tuna rolls, shrimp dumplings and scallop crudo, at its headquarters in West Loop, Chicago. According to Aqua, it intends to solicit feedback from participants on the …
BlueNalu Says Breakthrough Tech ‘Cracks the Code’ to Significantly Scale Alt Seafood Production
Cultivated seafood company BlueNalu announces two new technologies it says unlock the path to significant profitability and scalability of its cell-cultured seafood. By utilizing breakthrough single-cell suspension and lipid-loading techniques, the startup says it can achieve 75% gross margins in its first year of production, and cultivate up to 6M pounds of premium seafood annually, beginning with Bluefin Tuna Toro. While many cultivated meat and seafood companies employ “adherent” techniques …
Aqua Cultured Foods Doubles Production Output of Novel Fish and Seafood Alternatives
Food tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods announces new advancements in its fermentation technology that allow it to double the biomass output of whole-muscle seafood alternatives. According to Aqua, these developments have dramatically improved the growth timeline for its seafood products, which include tuna, whitefish, calamari, popcorn shrimp and scallops. The startup says it has filed five patents relating to its unique method of protein production, and is preparing for its …
California’s Finless Foods Secures $34M For Cell-Cultured Bluefin Tuna
Finless Foods, which claims to have been the first cell-cultured seafood producer and the first to serve cell-cultured fish in the US, has closed a $34M Series B round, bringing its total raise to $48M. The company states the fresh funds will be used to launch plant-based tuna nationally into US foodservice. In addition, the funding will allow Finless Foods to explore international distribution in Asia; expand its plant-based seafood …
California’s Finless Foods Announces Launch of “Sushi Grade” Cell-Cultured Tuna
As the plant-based seafood industry is projected to grow 28% annually over the next decade, Finless Foods of Emeryville California has announced a new cell-based tuna offering, as well as a brand refresh and new website. “The feedback received from our culinary partners has been phenomenal, likening the flavor and texture to sushi-grade tuna.” Co-founded by Michael Selden and Brian Wyrwas, the company aims to distribute the tuna product widely …