Believer Meats, a leader in cultivated meat technology, has entered into a strategic partnership with GEA, a major supplier of industrial-scale equipment for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors.
Their collaboration aims to enhance the economics and sustainability of cultivated meat production through joint technology and process development.
The partnership will target improvements in performance, efficiency, and environmental impact of cultivated meat production, initially focusing on chicken before expanding to other products.
This joint effort will push forward advancements in bioreactor technology, perfusion systems, and media rejuvenation, while also addressing environmental concerns through optimized resource usage and circular economy initiatives. The ultimate goal is to make cultivated meat more cost-effective and widely available by reducing production costs, improving technology transfer, and scaling operations efficiently.
“Believer is on track to overcome the biggest obstacles to scalability. By partnering with GEA – one of the world’s foremost engineering and biotech equipment manufacturers – we are taking the next step in innovating state-of-the-art technology and process engineering capabilities needed to produce cultivated meat products at the right cost,” said Gustavo Burger, CEO of Believer.
“The partnership with GEA will help maximize production yields efficiently and sustainably, which are top priorities for Believer. The cultivated meat industry is forging a new path that has never been traveled. We are thrilled to partner with GEA and are very optimistic about the future.”
“With the global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, there is a clear need to feed more people using fewer resources,” said Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA.
“We share Believer’s vision that cell cultivation technology is the key to making safe, healthy meat broadly available and affordable. We are excited to partner with Believer in the development and scale-up of their operations – a collaboration aligned with our purpose: ‘Engineering for a better world.'”
The collaboration between Believer Meats and GEA is set to strengthen the cultivated meat ecosystem and accelerate industry-wide scaling. Their partnership also includes plans for joint commercial ventures to leverage each company’s strengths, expand market presence, and drive global growth in the cultivated meat sector.
As an industry frontrunner, Believer is dedicated to developing scalable cell-cultivation technology for producing safe, nutritious, and tasty cultivated meat products. The company is currently constructing what will be the world’s largest cultivated meat production facility in Wilson, N.C., featuring cutting-edge innovation and tasting facilities. Scheduled to begin operations in early 2025, the plant will have an annual production capacity of at least 12,000 metric tons of cultivated chicken, produced without animal slaughter.
GEA’s role in the partnership includes developing and commissioning specialized bioreactors for Believer’s cell-cultivation technology, designed for high cell density and yield. A key aspect of this collaboration is Believer’s centrifuge-based perfusion and cell media rejuvenation process, which enhances cell performance while conserving resources. This process aims to reduce production costs by managing byproducts and enabling media reuse. The companies will continue to collaborate on process improvements, equipment optimization, and scaling innovations to support large-scale cultivated meat production.
Find out more at: https://www.believermeats.com