U.S – Berkeley-based cultivated meat startup Orbillion has made waves in the cultivated meat industry with its latest funding round, bringing its total funding to an impressive U.S$15 million.
The company’s success follows a milestone 200-liter production run that has validated its predictive modeling platform, setting a new standard for de-risking the scale-up process in cultivated meat production.
Led by The Venture Collective and co-led by At One Ventures, the funding round also saw participation from notable names like YCombinator, Metaplanet, and various global food investors, including university endowments and strategic investors.
This funding surge comes on the heels of a previous U.S$5 million seed round announced back in 2021, highlighting Orbillion’s rapid growth and investor confidence in its innovative approach.
Orbillion’s proprietary platform utilizes advanced simulations to predict how mammalian cell cultures will perform in liquid suspension, eliminating the need for extensive and costly lab trials.
Dr. Patricia Bubner, co-founder, and CEO of Orbillion, emphasized the significance of their recent 200-liter run in validating their scaling capabilities.
“The things that we measured in the lab and modeled at a larger scale were actually validated at this larger scale,” she stated.
The company’s tactical partnerships and lean, asset-light model have positioned Orbillion for efficient scaling and early profitability.
Dr. Bubner emphasized their focus on premium heritage breeds of meat, particularly Wagyu beef cell lines, grown without genetic engineering or carriers. This approach not only ensures superior product quality but also offers more favorable unit economics, a crucial factor in the competitive cultivated meat market.
Despite challenges and market downturns affecting the cultivated meat industry, Orbillion remains optimistic about its long-term potential.
Caitlin Herling from The Venture Collective expressed confidence in Orbillion’s ability to achieve cost-effective scale, stating, “Despite negative sentiment and challenges around scale-up dynamics plaguing the cultivated meat space, we believe in the long-term potential of this category.”
Orbillion’s roadmap includes scaling up production to 20,000-liter bioreactors through a partnership with Solar Biotech, with plans to enter the US market in 2024 and Europe in 2025.
Dr. Bubner acknowledged the industry’s challenges but emphasized the importance of proving scalability before massive facility investments. Orbillion’s focus on efficient scaling, premium products, and strategic partnerships sets a promising trajectory for the future of cultivated meat technology.
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