Cultured Meat: Mission Impossible?
By Henk Hoogenkamp - Author & Protein Technology Expert
Despite the many optimistic stories about cell-cultivated meat production, the reality in 2024 is that only a small fraction of the grand visions articulated in 2013 - when the first $300,000 Mosa Meat burger was unveiled - have been realized. Even with a massive $1.6 billion in venture capital investments in 2021 and 2022, the anticipated market breakthroughs have not materialized. Instead, many of the more than 200 global cultured meat startups are facing contraction or even going out of business, casting doubt on the initial dreams of growing meat and fish from cells instead of slaughtering animals. In 2024, and likely in the years to come, venture capital is not something cultured meat companies can take for granted.