Cultivated Pet Food CEO Voices Ambition: "Aiming to Demonstrate Mainstream Potential"
UK-Based Startup Meatly Leads the Way in Cultivated Pet Food
Meatly, a pioneering UK-based startup, is making waves in the pet food industry with its innovative approach to cultivated meat for pets. Founded by Owen Ensor and Dr. Helder Cruz in 2021, the company is currently raising £15 million ($20 million) to scale up its operations.
Meatly's focus is on creating sustainable, healthy, and kind solutions for pet nutrition. The startup aims to match the amino acid profile of a chicken breast, ensuring complete traceability, no contaminants, and a consistent supply and price for its cultivated chicken pet food.
The company has already achieved significant milestones. In July 2024, Meatly secured regulatory approval in the UK, making it the first in Europe to do so. In February 2025, it launched a limited edition product, "Chick Bites," in partnership with pet retailer Pets at Home and plant-based brand The Pack. This product, a world first in commercial pet food containing cultivated meat, was well-received in feeding trials with dogs, demonstrating strong positive pet acceptance.
Meatly's business strategy is marked by a pragmatic, fast-to-market approach. The company is working to validate unit economics and market interest before scaling, contrasting with other cultivated meat firms that have faced challenges with scale.
The market opportunity for cultivated pet food is significant. With less stringent regulation compared to human food and lower production complexity, it represents a pragmatic entry point to cultivated meat. Moreover, pet owners and brands are open to adopting new sustainable alternatives, making it a promising mass-market opportunity.
Meatly is not alone in this venture. Other startups such as Friends & Family Pet Food in Asia are also gaining regulatory clearance to sell cultivated pet meat, indicating a rising global market trend.
The company has developed a patent-pending low-cost bioreactor, and the cost of its pilot plant 310-liter vessel is £12,500/$16,800. Meatly aims to reach a price point of £5 ($6.7) per kilo for mass market cultivated pet food.
Despite cultural resistance in some markets, such as the US, Meatly's CEO, Owen Ensor, believes that attitudes towards cultivated meat in the UK and many other markets are more enlightened. With regulatory approvals, successful feeding trials, and commercial retail partnerships, Meatly is leading the way in scaling cultivated meat in pet nutrition.
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- The finance sector is taking notice of Meatly, a UK-based startup that is revolutionizing the pet food industry with cultivated meat for pets, considering the company's £15 million ($20 million) fundraising goal to scale up its operations.
- In the realm of lifestyle and business, Meatly's focus on sustainable, healthy, and kind pet nutrition represents a strategic investment opportunity, considering the market potential for cultivated pet food, which has less stringent regulation and lower production complexity compared to human food.
- The technology behind Meatly's operations, such as its patent-pending low-cost bioreactor, is not just transforming the pet food space but also the food-and-drink industry as a whole, making it an attractive area for investing in new and innovative solutions.
