Cargill acquired a stake in the startup Memphis Meats, which developed a technology for growing meat from self-replicating animal cells. This is written by Vedomosti with reference to The Wall Street Journal.
The parties do not disclose the investment size. It is noted that this is the first case in the world practice, when the 'traditional' meat producer invests in the nascent sector of 'pure meat', whose participants declare that their products are better for the environment than the meat obtained by fattening and subsequent slaughter of animals.
Recently, consumers are increasingly demanding a reduction in the use of antibiotics from meat producers, as well as more humane treatment of animals. Some companies in this trend invest, for example, in the production of burgers with vegetable meat substitutes, thus counting on attracting vegetarians. Memphis Meats and some other Western startups implement another vector, trying to grow meat from animal cells in special cultivators.
According to representatives of Cargill, the company intends to produce meat products for people who think about the welfare of animals. According to Memphis Meats, this investment was part of a round of financing totaling $ 17 million. Earlier it was attended by Bill Gates, Richard Branson, as well as venture investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Atomico.
