Cultivated seafood company UMAMI Bioworks, previously Umami Meats, announces a business partnership with Maruha Nichiro (TYO: 1333), Japan’s largest seafood company. By joining forces, the companies aim to build the infrastructure of Japan’s cultivated seafood industry.
As part of the agreement, Maruha Nichiro will invest in UMAMI Bioworks, gaining access to its cell cultivation platform for producing and selling cultivated seafood. The partnership also involves a multi-faceted collaboration to scale UMAMI Bioworks’ process.
“a pivotal step in achieving our mission of addressing the challenge of feeding a growing global population”
Mihir Pershad, CEO of UMAMI Bioworks, comments: “Our seminal partnership with Maruha Nichiro, a global leader in crafting beloved food products, is a pivotal step in achieving our mission of addressing the challenge of feeding a growing global population while minimizing environmental impact. We have the development and production technology, but we require experienced partners with global reach that can help us manufacture and deliver cultivated products to consumers.”
Early commercialization
Since its launch in 2020, UMAMI Bioworks has been working to develop a cell-cultivation platform to provide a sustainable alternative to endangered fish species, such as the Japanese eel. The company has achieved significant milestones in its cultivating process, including establishing cell lines, creating serum-free media, and a manufacturing system using machine learning and automation to scale its operations.
The company is headquartered in Singapore and recently opened a Tokyo office, announcing expansion plans. With the new investment, it will establish a research and commercial team in Japan.
Maruha Nichiro has been working on joint R&D of cell-cultivated seafood products with domestic companies, and this investment marks its first venture into a foreign cellular agriculture company. By collaborating with UMAMI Bioworks, the company will expand its research and development system, accelerating its processes toward early commercialization of cell-cultivated products.
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