October 26, 2021

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Innovative investment platform CULT Food Science Corp. is targeting its capital commitments exclusively to clean, lab-grown food and the novel technologies behind them that provide sustainable, environmental, and ethical solutions mitigating the pressures caused by global factory farming and aquaculture. 

Conventional methods of beef production require 3,500 square feet of land, 1,451 liters of water, and 25 kilograms of feed to produce just 1 kilogram of beef. But beef production is only one category of animal production. Overall, the industry combined accounts for 18 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and 56 percent of the water consumed in the U.S.

And over time these pressures will only worsen, as meat consumption is expected to increase by 50 percent by 2040, adding untold additional strains to our land, environment, and our available natural resources.

CULT is looking to the future of food, and is giving investors the opportunity to gain diversified exposure to the cutting-edge leading startups in the cultivated meat and dairy categories. The latest to join its portfolio is cultivated meat science and cell biology company, Ohayo Valley – maker of revolutionary lab-grown, A5-grade Wagyu Ribeye beef.

Ohayo Valley’s founding team has more than 20 years of combined research experience in cell biology and meat science – including association with the development of the Artemys burger prototype. The team also has affiliations (both past and present) with Kent State University, New Harvest, Artymys Foods, University of Pennsylvania, and the National University of Singapore. 

“CULT’s investment in Ohayo marks an exciting addition to its portfolio, which continues to be high-graded by way of the world’s leading companies in the cellular agriculture space,” said Dorian Banks, CEO, CULT. “Our team has the benefit and privilege of being able to closely monitor the future of food, while positioning the company to generate strong returns on its investments for the benefit of shareholders.”

Meaning “good morning” in Japanese, Ohayo Valley stated that it “brings a new dawn to the meat industry”. Through its revolutionary process, and with the foundation of the company’s five provisional patents and trade secrets, Ohayo recreates the protein, fat, and texture profile of beef, allowing for the reproduction of textured whole beef cut analogues. 

Oh You Wagyu Too?

Wagyu is considered the holy grail of beef, making it a worthy target for cultivated meat startups – and Ohayo Valley is not alone in its pursuit.

Y Combinator startup Orbillion Bio, founded by Patricia Bubner, Gabriel Levesque-Tremblay, and Samet Yildirim, three professionals with more than three decades of experience in bioprocessing and biopharmaceuticals, is working to make cultivated high-end meats including premium lamb, elk steaks, bison burgers, and yes, Wagyu. 

Having raised $5 million earlier this year. Orbillion recently hosted a tasting event in the San Francisco Bay area for an invited gathering of 20 employees and guests, who sampled lab-grown elk sausage, Wagyu meatloaf, and lamb burgers.

With this newly raised capital, the company stated that it intends to bring its first commercial product – Wagyu beef – to pilot production. 

Likewise, a scientific team at Osaka University, led by Michiya Matsusaki, has used bovine stem cells and  3-D bioprinters to replicate a full cut Wagyu steak complete with its distinctive marbling. 

Still in its infancy, the process currently takes up to a month to make a cubic centimeter of cultured meat at a cost of approximately US$89.40 per gram. But Matsusaki stated that given the rapid advancement of automation and efficiency, cost of production could drop enough to have a marketable product within five years. 

Ohayo Valley’s models, however, indicate that its A5-grade Wagyu ribeye will be profitable at commercial scale, and it has intentions to capture market share through distributing its cultivated whole beef cut analogues to high-end restaurants with an eye toward cross promotion by top chefs and culinary experts.

– Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Oilseed & Grain News. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.