The cellular agriculture ecosystem in Australia

The University of Sydney is leading the Alternative Protein Cooperative Research Centre bid, which works with industry and research organisations to identify and support market-led opportunities for alternative protein development. Their researchers have been granted significant funding from the NSW government to support alternative protein production methods, including precision fermentation.

That’s us! Australia’s only non-profit specialising in the cellular agriculture sector.

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Better Bite Ventures (BBV) is the Asia Pacific’s first dedicated alternative protein venture capital firm. BBV focuses on early stage investments (founding, pre seed and seed). They have made investments in cell-cultivation, biomass fermentation, precision fermentation, molecular farming and plant-based products. This includes various Australian companies - Me&, Vow, and Change Foods.

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Professor Ian Paulsen of Macquarie University leads an Australian Research Council (ARC Centre of Excellence) in Synthetic Biology.

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Monash University has various cellular agriculture researchers working in the Australia Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI).

Magic Valley is a cultivated meat company that has launched cultivated lamb and pork prototypes to date. The company’s breakthrough technology has allowed them to develop products without the need for fetal bovine serum (FBS). They are aiming for regulatory approval in 2024.

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Change Foods is a US-Australian company focussed on producing animal-free dairy products. Since its founding in 2020, Change Foods has announced plans to build a commercial manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi. With an expected capacity of over one million litres, the facility will not only be the first of its kind in the region, but also potentially the largest of its kind in the world.

Founded in 2018, Singaporean company Shiok is the world’s first cultivated crustacean company, and Southeast Asia’s first cultivated seafood company. They have unveiled shrimp, lobster and crab prototypes, and are currently working on gaining regulatory approval and building a larger manufacturing facility. Shiok has a lab space in Sydney in addition to their main Singaporean operations.

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The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is the Australian Federal Government's 'green fund', supporting the country to reach its target of net zero emissions by 2050. They have invested in All G Foods.

Tenacious Ventures is an early-stage venture capital capital firm specialising in agtech and climate startups. They have invested in Vow. 

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Canberra-based Nourish Ingredients is a producer of animal-free fats and oils using precision fermentation technology. The company was co-founded by two former CSIRO scientists and is backed by CSIRO’s venture capital firm, Main Sequence. 

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Professor Johannes les Coutre at UNSW has a broad research interest in cellular agriculture and the food industry. He also supervises research in cell culture, media development, and bioreactor adaptation.

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Me& is Australia’s first cell cultivated human breast milk company. They are aiming to meet the early intense nutritional and energetic demands of vulnerable pre-term babies, who may struggle to receive sufficient nutrients when fed at usual breastfeeding volumes. 

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Co-Labs is a transdisciplinary innovation hub and biotechnology co-working laboratory, catalysing the transition toward a circular, bio-based economy.

Co-Labs was born from a desire to support planet-positive and impact-oriented initiatives related to research, education and innovation.

They do this by providing access to enabling technology, community and other capacity-building infrastructure.

Giant Leap is a venture capital fund dedicated to investing in impact startups. They have invested in Change Foods.  

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Founded in 2019, Vow is a cultivated meat company focussed on exotic species. They opened the first cultivated meat facility in Australia and in 2023 submitted the first food safety application for a cultivated meat product to FSANZ. Vow's first product, cultivated quail, is set to be released in late 2024 under their consumer brand Morsel, and will debut in leading restaurants in Singapore.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency responsible for scientific research. It is home to the Future Protein Mission, which supports innovation and growth for all types of protein, including novel proteins that sit within cellular agriculture.

Grok ventures is a private investment company with a focus on fast-growing, technology-enabled businesses. They have invested in Vow.

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Founded in 2020, All G Foods focuses on precision fermentation and plant protein technologies to produce products under their brands Love BUDS and MilkCELL. MilkCELL uses precision fermentation to produce dairy proteins. These proteins - whey and casein - will be used in commercial production of animal-free dairy products. 

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Heuros is focussed on creating animal component-free and GM-free growth factors, which eliminates the use of utilise fetal bovine serum. They will supply these growth factors, as well as custom bioreactors they produce to cultivated meat companies. They also intend to develop their own cultivated meat products to be sold directly to consumers. 

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Sartorius AG is a pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment supplier. They supply the lab products and bioprocess solutions required to produce cellular agriculture products.

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NGS Super is an industry super fund which has invested in Vow.

Food Frontier is an independent think tank on alternative proteins in Australia and New Zealand. They conduct research in alternative proteins, support food producers, and advise policymakers. 

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Startupbootcamp is a startup accelerator, with various accelerator and scale programs worldwide. Here in Australia, Food Tech and Fermentation Tech are their core focus areas.

We are currently funding three undergraduate researchers studying at Deakin University as part of our Seed Grant Program.

UniSC is home to one of our fantastic volunteers, Lisa, who is currently completing a PhD researching Crustacean Biotechnology and Cultivated Meat.

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We are currently funding two students at the University of Melbourne as part of our Seed Grant Program. The University is also home to Australia’s only Alt Protein student group - the Melbourne Alternative Protein Project. One of our wonderful volunteers, Brodie Peace, is completing a PhD here in food chemistry, focussing on media optimisation.

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Main Sequence is a venture capital firm investing in deep tech. They manage the CSIRO Innovation Funds, which invest in deep tech, high growth startups with a connection to publicly funded research. Main Sequence has invested in emerging Australian firms including Cauldron Ferm, Eden Brew, Nourish Ingredients and Me&.

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W23 is a global grocery retail venture capital fund, owned by Woolworths. They have invested in All G Foods.

Eden Brew is a precision fermentation dairy company co-founded by Main Sequence Ventures, CSIRO and Norco (Australia’s biggest dairy co-op), as well as ex-Woolworths executive, Jim Fader. The company has successfully recreated all six dairy proteins found in cow's milk, and they plan on launching their first product, ice cream, in 2024.

We are currently co-funding a Swinburne student alongside Me& as a part of our Seed Grant Program.

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Startmate is an Australian and New Zealand accelerator that is associated with Blackbird Ventures.

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Australian Ethical is an Australian Superannuation Fund that through its Visionary Grant program, supports both CAA and Food Frontier.

Agritechnology is a bioscience company that develops products in agriculture, nutraceuticals, biofuels, and food and beverage production. Their laboratories are equipped to perform a variety of fermentation functions, which companies can hire for use. 

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Square Peg Capital invests in emerging technology companies. They provided seed funding for Vow. 

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Blackbird is an investment firm focusing on technology companies at any stage of development. Their Australian cellular agriculture investments include Heuros and Vow.

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