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Memphis Meats attracts Gates, Branson, Cargill as investors
28 Aug 2017Clean meat company Memphis Meats has announced that it has gained the support of a high profile group of investors, including Cargill, Bill Gates and Richard Branson.
Clean meat company Memphis Meats has announced that it has gained the support of a high profile group of investors. Memphis Meats has already produced beef, chicken and duck directly from animal cells, without the need to raise and slaughter animals. The company says that the Series A fundraising round, led by DFJ, marks the first public commitment to the clean meat movement by top venture investors or meat industry leaders. The announcement is also said to mark a major moment in which meat industry leaders and mission-driven groups have come together behind one company.
The $17M Series A round was led by DFJ, a venture capital firm that has previously backed Tesla, SpaceX and Skype. Cargill and other food industry players invested in Memphis Meats as part of the round. Bill Gates and Richard Branson invested in the round, as did Atomico, one of Europe’s largest VC firms. New Crop Capital, SOSV, Fifty Years, KBW Ventures, Inevitable Ventures, Suzy and Jack Welch, Kyle Vogt, and Kimbal Musk also participated. Multiple research institutions joined the round. The company has now raised $22M to date. Memphis Meats says it plans to use the funds to continue developing delicious products, to accelerate its work in scaling up clean meat production, and to reduce production costs to levels comparable to – and ultimately below – conventional meat costs. The company expects to quadruple its headcount, and has already begun growing its team of chefs, scientists, creative people and business people. “We’re going to bring meat to the plate in a more sustainable, affordable and delicious way,” said Uma Valeti, co-founder and CEO of Memphis Meats. “The world loves to eat meat, and it is core to many of our cultures and traditions. Meat demand is growing rapidly around the world. We want the world to keep eating what it loves. However, the way conventional meat is produced today creates challenges for the environment, animal welfare and human health. These are problems that everyone wants to solve, and we can solve them by bringing this incredible group of partners under one tent. This group will help us accelerate our progress significantly.” “Clean meat is an enormous technological shift for humanity, and an opportunity to invest in something so important does not come along often,” said Steve Jurvetson, DFJ Partner. “This is a moment where the investment potential and the potential to do good for the world are both off the charts. Investors have been watching this space for years, and Memphis Meats has emerged as the clear leader. It is thrilling to watch the team work, and to try the products, which the entire DFJ team agreed are the real thing. I am so excited for the future that Memphis Meats will create.” Jurvetson will join the company’s board of directors. “We are committed to growing our traditional protein business and investing in innovative new proteins to ultimately provide a complete basket of goods to our customers,” said Sonya McCullum Roberts, president of growth ventures, Cargill Protein. “Our investment in Memphis Meats is an exciting way for Cargill to explore the potential in this growing segment of the protein market. Memphis Meats has the potential to provide our customers and consumers with expanded protein choices and is aligned with our mission to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.”