Aleph Farms to set up cultivated meat production in Switzerland

SWITZERLAND – Israeli food tech firm Aleph Farms is moving into Europe by establishing cultivated meat production at The Cultured Hub in Kemptthal, canton of Zurich.

The company is waiting for regulatory clearance in Switzerland and has chosen the Zurich site as its European base for cultivated beef manufacturing.

The Cultured Hub, located in The Valley business park, was launched last year through a joint venture between Migros, Givaudan, and Bühler Group.

This move extends Aleph Farms’ six-year collaboration with Migros, which supported its application to the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office in 2023.

Aleph Farms co-founder and chief executive Didier Toubia said the partnership builds on earlier work to advance both regulatory and operational readiness for cultivated meat in Switzerland.

Expanding production network

Aleph Farms’ main product is the Petit Steak, which combines non-modified Black Angus beef cells with a soy and wheat protein matrix.

The company has already been granted regulatory approval in Israel, although this is still subject to an inspection of its Rehovot facility to confirm compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices.

It has also filed for approval in Singapore, the UK, Thailand, and Switzerland, and has ongoing consultations in markets such as the United States, while targeting future entries into Japan, South Korea, Australia, China, and Hong Kong.

The firm operates a 65,000-square-foot facility in Rehovot with an initial annual output of 10 tonnes of cultivated steak and recently purchased another plant in Modi’in.

In Asia, Aleph Farms has signed a co-production deal with Singapore’s ESCO Aster and is constructing a new factory in Thailand with local partners BBGI and Fermbox Bio.

Swiss hub role

The Cultured Hub offers labs and pilot-scale capacity up to 1,000 litres, allowing resident firms to scale production without heavy capital investment or equity dilution.

Its chairman, Fabio Campanile of Givaudan, said the platform provides infrastructure, services, and networks to help companies accelerate market entry.

Local officials in Zurich have also welcomed the move, with economic councillor Carmen Walker Späh noting that Aleph Farms adds momentum to the canton’s food innovation ecosystem.

The company says the project will contribute to Switzerland’s domestic beef supply, of which 20% is currently imported, while setting up channels for its eventual commercial rollout.

Aleph Farms recently secured US$29 million (approx. KSh 4.3 billion) in the first stage of a new funding round, taking total investment close to US$150 million (approx. KSh 22 billion).

An independent assessment estimated its cultivated steak could be produced at US$6.45 per pound and sold wholesale at US$12.25, with potential net annual profits of US$78.5 million.

Further improvements in the production process could reduce costs to US$4.08 per pound, according to the report.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.