Efficient capital deployment in Israel and Singapore designed to support scale-up in key markets
Aleph Farms, the first company to grow cultivated steaks directly from non-modified cow cells, has acquired a manufacturing facility in Modi’in, Israel, and certain related assets from biotechnology company VBL Therapeutics.
In addition, Aleph Farms has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ESCO Aster, a vertically-integrated contract manufacturing organisation, to produce cultivated meat in Singapore. These agreements stand to increase Aleph Farms’ production capabilities and global impact as the company approaches commercialisation.
Existing assets from VBL will be paired with a smooth technology transfer from Aleph Farms’ pilot production facility in Rehovot, Israel, to increase local output in response to rising demand for quality protein.
ESCO Aster is the world’s first and only company with full regulatory approval from a government authority (Singapore Food Agency), and with ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 certifications, to produce cultivated meat for commercial sales and consumption at the highest safety standards.
Aleph Farms is working closely with regulatory agencies around the world as it prepares for the commercial launch of its first product, a cultivated thin-cut steak. The company also plans to produce different cuts of steak as well as other products based on animal cells, such as cultivated collagen, through additional proprietary capabilities. From a single fertilised egg, the startup can grow thousands of tons of cultivated meat, serving as part of a just and inclusive transition to sustainable and secure food systems.