A European Startup Enters the Cultivated Fish Market

A new company originating in Europe has begun its efforts to establish itself as a leading producer of lab-grown fish.

Bluu Biosciences recently secured €7 million in funding from investors including Manta Ray Ventures, Norrsken VC, Be8, CPT Capital, and Lever VC. This investment positions them to compete with existing cellular agriculture startups such as BluNalu, Wild Type, and Shiok Meats in the development and marketing of cultivated fish products.

The Growing Demand for Sustainable Seafood

The demand for sustainably sourced fish is substantial and continues to increase. Growing concerns regarding the impacts of overfishing and conventional aquaculture practices are intensifying as global fish consumption rises.

This challenge mirrors the issues faced by other animal protein sources. The planet’s growing population, numbering in the billions, presents a demand for high-quality protein that current supply chains are unable to sustainably meet.

Consequently, numerous companies specializing in cellular agriculture are prioritizing fish production over other meats like beef, pork, or chicken.

Europe's Emerging Cellular Agriculture Landscape

“Europe possesses a wealth of talent, yet comparatively few companies are dedicated to this specific field,” stated Simon Fabich, co-founder and managing director of Bluu. “In contrast to the mammalian cell-based meat sector, the number of companies focused on fish is significantly lower.”

Based in Berlin, Bluu Biosciences is concentrating its efforts on cultivating salmon, trout, and carp – a fish particularly popular in China. While other companies are exploring tuna, salmon, and shrimp, Bluu identifies carp as a strategically advantageous target due to its prevalence in a highly populated nation.

Leveraging Expertise in Cultivated Fish Cells

A key advantage for Bluu lies in the extensive experience of co-founder Sebastian Rakers in the realm of cultivated fish cells.

Rakers, a marine and cell biologist, previously worked for several years at the Fraunhofer Institute in Munich, a renowned European research organization. There, he led a team evaluating the commercial potential of cell-based meat, building upon his research into utilizing fish cells for viral production within the pharmaceutical industry.

During his research, Rakers successfully cultivated 80 distinct cell cultures from over 20 different fish species. Importantly, he developed these cell lines to be immortal.

The Significance of Immortalized Cell Lines

Before considering the potential for a continuous, self-replicating mass of fish cells, it’s important to understand the implications of “immortal” cell lines. Essentially, this refers to the capacity for sustained, indefinite cell reproduction.

Traditional cell lines typically cease reproducing after a limited number of divisions, necessitating repeated biopsies from the original animal to maintain production. Bluu, however, can circumvent this requirement thanks to Rakers’ prior work in developing these “immortal” cell cultivars for salmon, trout, and carp.

“This represents a substantial competitive advantage,” Fabich explained. “With conventional, non-immortalized cells, proliferation is limited to 20-25 cycles before requiring a new biopsy. Immortalized cells, however, can be grown up to 100,000 times, doubling in number daily.”

From Research to Commercialization

Driven by this technological advancement, Rakers began contemplating his next career move and connected with Gary Lin, an impact investor and founder of Purple Orange Ventures.

Lin facilitated an introduction to Fabich, and together they established Bluu Biosciences to commercialize Rakers’ research. Despite the existing market presence and funding of competitor companies, Rakers believes that entering the field at this stage offers certain benefits.

“Five years ago, there was limited focus on media development, large-scale bioreactor technologies, or alternative scaffolding solutions for cell-based meat,” he noted. “The landscape has evolved significantly since then.”

The company is rapidly gaining momentum and anticipates having a prototype product available by the end of 2022.

Regulatory Approval and Market Focus

Bluu Biosciences is also actively advocating for regulatory approval, which both Fabich and Rakers identify as a crucial remaining hurdle to commercialization. The company’s primary market focus is Asia.

“That region holds the greatest potential for impactful change in terms of sustainability,” Fabich stated. “We can achieve the most significant impact by altering production practices there.”