January 30, 2024

Czech firm Mewery secures government grant for advancing cultivated pork research

Mewery, a Czech-based company pioneering cultivated pork using microalgae, has been granted an almost EUR 200,000 non-dilutive grant by the Czech government through the CzechInvest Technological Incubator, which will be used for comprehensive studies aimed at enhancing the efficiency of Mewery's platform as it prepares for scale-up, Vegconomist reported.

Mewery's studies will focus on cell characterisation, delving into the metabolites crucial for growth, and analysing gene expression patterns (transcriptomics) to gain insights into cellular processes and interactions.

Roman Laus, founder and CEO of Mewery, underscored the significance of CzechInvest's investment as an endorsement of their innovative approach to cultivated meat production.

Headquartered in Brno and launched in 2022, Mewery stands as the first European food tech company to develop cultivated pork utilising growth factors derived from microalgae. The growth media developed by the company stimulates mammalian cell growth, eliminating the need for foetal bovine serum and reducing production costs by 70%, ultimately leading to more cost-effective cultivated meat.

The company highlights the environmental impact of traditional swine farming, with 1.5 billion swine slaughtered annually worldwide, contributing to 14.5% of all emissions, surpassing those produced by the entire transportation sector. Mewery aims to significantly reduce these numbers through its innovative approach.

Mewery's proof of concept includes a pork and microalgae prototype, and last year, the company unveiled the "first-ever" cultivated burger made with pork and microalgae cells using its bio-hybrid culture system. The biotech firm has garnered support from notable entities such as US accelerator Big Idea Ventures and angel investors.

With the government grant, Mewery will not only advance its research and development but also collect essential data for future safety approvals. This includes data on the nutritional composition of the biomass and components of the production process. Mewery has announced plans to seek approval for its unique pork products fortified with microalgae in the United States and Singapore markets within the next two years.

-        Vegconomist