Tracking the cell-based meat space

At the end of 2020, there were more than 70 startups across the globe working on making meat, seafood, and animal fat and organs from cells, according to the Good Food Institute. As of the end of last year, these companies, which all aim to serve meat without slaughtering animals, received more than $350 million from investors to work on R&D, build facilities, hire employees and expand their reach.

Consumers in Singapore can even eat cell-based chicken. Eat Just received the world’s first regulatory approval for a cultivated meat product from the government of the Asian island nation in November 2020.

Meanwhile, governments across the globe are working to develop their own rules and regulations for this new segment, determining how products can be safely made and distributed, as well as figuring out how they should be labeled. Companies are working with regulators to ensure they are ready to apply for approval as soon as possible.

These companies are also making prototypes, working to improve technology and decrease costs and scale up. They’re partnering with food companies around the world so that once they receive regulatory approval, they have a pathway to market — and to making a difference in the industry.

Click on company names, categories of actions or products to see what’s happened in this space so far. This tracker will be continually updated.