Cell Ag Ltd was founded in early 2016 as the first UK startup in the cultured protein space. In 2018, InnovateUK funding supported the development of a proof of concept bioreactor system, a version of which was displayed at Nemo Science Museum, Amsterdam through the summer of 2019 as the first automated cultured meat system to be demonstrated publicly in the World. We support an emerging alternative protein industry to reach industrial scale cultured meat, seafood and milk production through efficient, scaled commercial bioprocess technology platform that delivers price parity with traditional animal protein whilst also mitigating its effect on climate. Our core technology sits at a footprint 300x smaller than incumbent bioprocess and at a 70% reduction in operational cost. Our ambition is to cement ourselves as the global technology solutions lead for the cultured meat industry. We additionally play an active role in the current ecosystem; we work in advisory capacity to Government, investors and think tanks, work collaboratively with pioneer companies and offer both consultancy and contract research services for those looking to enter the cultured protein industry.
Watch our storyIlltud’s family can trace their agricultural history for over 300 years. He established Charcutier Ltd, a speciality meat processing business in 2011 as a farm diversification project. It won the title of Best Food Producer in the UK from the BBC Food and Farming Awards in 2016. His Nuffield Farming Scholarship led him to cultured meat via the First Symposium for Cultured Meat at Maastricht University where he met co-founder Marianne. His consultancy work spans animal health, welfare and genetics along with food production and food policy.
Marianne is Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Bath. She is a Chartered Engineer with experience in bioprocessing for tissue engineering. She previously commercialised technology in cell therapies from academia to Cellesce Ltd and seeks to emulate those successes with Cellular Agriculture Ltd. Her aspirations lie in building systems to economically scale tissue engineering for food production.