What Ivy Farm Technologies does

Ivy Farm Technologies is an Oxford University spin-out founded in 2019 that develops cultivated (cell-based) meat using proprietary biotechnology originating at the University of Oxford. The company grows real meat from animal cells in bioreactors over a 2-3 week cycle, producing beef mince, Angus beef burgers, Wagyu meatballs, pork sausages, and other products that are antibiotic-free and traceable to source. Core technology includes a novel cell proliferation process described as cheaper and faster than existing methods, proprietary culture media formulation, and the 600-litre Betty bioreactor housed in what the company describes as Europe's largest cultivated meat pilot facility at 18,000 square feet in Oxford. Patents are pending in 12 countries.

The company is pre-commercial and awaiting UK Food Standards Agency novel foods approval, with the company positioned as one of only two UK firms currently progressing through the regulatory pathway. Ivy Farm operates a three-phase revenue model: short-term biotechnology licensing, medium-term raw cultivated ingredient sales to food manufacturers, and long-term direct-to-consumer branded products. Strategic manufacturing partnerships with Synbio Powerlabs Oy in Finland (six 250,000L vessels) and engineering firm Dennis Group support a planned 12,000-tonne-per-year commercial plant. Brand collaborations with Fortnum & Mason (cultivated beef scotch egg), Finnebrogue (Wagyu burgers), and Heck (sausages) anchor pre-launch commercial relationships with premium UK food brands.

The company is privately held, venture-backed with approximately $40.9 million in disclosed funding to date, employs 50+ scientists and engineers, and is targeting further raises of £40-£70 million to reach commercial scale. In September 2024, founder Richard Dillon transitioned to Non-Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer Harsh Amin became Interim CEO with a stated mandate to become the lowest-cost producer of cultivated meat. The University of Oxford retains a founding equity stake and board representation.

Name

Ivy Farm Technologies

Legal name

Ivy Farm Technologies

Website

https://ivy.farm

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ivy Farm Technologies is an Oxford University spin-out developing cultivated (cell-based) beef and pork products using proprietary bioreactor technology. The pre-commercial company targets UK food manufacturers and premium retailers, pursuing a phased go-to-market from biotechnology licensing to consumer-branded products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultivated Meat Production

NAICS

Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultivated Meat Producers (Cell-Cultured Meat & Seafood) (AFANAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultivated (Cell-Based) Protein Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAI), Bioprocessing & Fermentation Manufacturing (Bioreactors, Scale-Up, Toll/CMO) (AFANAKAF), Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals) (AFANAKAO)

Keywords

• Cultivated meat production
• Cellular agriculture technology
• Alternative protein manufacturing
• Lab-grown meat R&D
• Sustainable meat ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Biotechnology Licensing: Short-term revenue strategy: licensing proprietary biotechnology to other businesses in the food industry.
2. Raw Ingredient Sales: Medium-term strategy: selling cultivated muscle and fat as raw ingredients to other food producers and manufacturers.
3. Consumer Product Sales: Long-term strategy: developing and selling proprietary cultivated meat product line directly to consumers under Ivy Farm brand.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ivy Farm Technologies is a UK-based cultivated meat company that produces real animal meat (beef and pork) by growing animal cells in bioreactors using proprietary biotechnology developed at the University of Oxford. The company produces cultivated beef mince, burgers, Wagyu meatballs, pork sausages, and hotdogs free from antibiotics, with a three-phase commercial strategy starting with biotechnology licensing, then selling raw ingredients to food manufacturers, and eventually launching consumer products under the Ivy Farm brand.

Product overview

Ivy Farm Technologies operates as a cultivated meat company with a three-phase commercial strategy. The core product portfolio centers on cultivated beef and pork products, starting with Angus beef burgers, Wagyu meatballs, and cultivated beef mince as primary offerings, supplemented by pork sausages and hotdogs. The business model progresses from short-term biotechnology licensing to medium-term raw ingredient sales, culminating in long-term consumer-branded products. The company also engages in brand partnership products like the Fortnum & Mason cultivated beef scotch egg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cultivated Beef Mince The company's primary cultivated beef product - real beef muscle and fat cells grown in bioreactors, free from antibiotics, serving as the foundation for burgers, meatballs, and other prepared dishes.
• Angus Beef Burgers Premium cultivated beef burgers made from Angus beef cells, offering high protein content with no antibiotics and reduced environmental impact compared to conventional beef.
• Wagyu Meatballs Premium cultivated beef meatballs made from Wagyu beef cells, representing the company's high-end product line targeting gourmet and chef markets.
• Cultivated Pork Sausages Cultivated pork sausages made from pig muscle cells, representing the company's first product launched for consumer tasting, targeting the UK market.
• Cultivated Hotdog World's first cultivated hotdog product served at COP26, made from cultivated pork cells, demonstrating consumer-facing application of the technology.
• Cultivated Beef Scotch Egg Premium culinary product developed in partnership with Fortnum & Mason, featuring cultivated beef sausage meat encasing a quail's egg, demonstrating commercial applications.
• Biotechnology Licensing Short-term revenue stream involving licensing of proprietary cultivated meat biotechnology developed at Oxford University to other businesses in the food industry.
• Raw Cultivated Meat Ingredients Medium-term revenue stream selling cultivated muscle and fat cells as raw ingredients to other food producers and manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% less carbon emissions compared to traditional meat production
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Synbio Powerlabs OycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 June 2024Manufacturing partnership with Finnish biotech firm Synbio Powerlabs Oy to scale up production at their new alternative protein facility in Finland. The partnership will demonstrate scalability of Ivy Farm's mammalian cells in food-grade fermenters. The facility features pilot-scale equipment and production scales at 10,000 and 27,000 litres, with six 250,000-litre manufacturing vessels, making it the world's largest such facility. Target launch of first sales is 2025.
• BSF Enterprise / 3D Bio-TissuesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 March 2024Partnership with BSF Enterprise, owner of Newcastle-based 3D Bio-Tissues, to support Ivy Farm's fundraising, launch, and scale growth plans in China. BSF Enterprise will use its network in Asia to generate and progress investment opportunities.
• Fortnum & MasonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2024Partnership with premium UK retailer Fortnum & Mason to develop a cultured beef scotch egg, combining traditional culinary expertise with cellular agriculture technology. Fortnum & Mason first created the scotch egg in 1738, and the cultivated version contains a quail's egg encased in meat grown from cells of an Aberdeen Angus cow.
• FinnebrogueminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2023Letter of intent signed with Co Down food company Finnebrogue to create the first commercially-available lab-grown wagyu beef burgers. Partnership to produce cultivated wagyu burgers once the industry receives regulatory go-ahead.
• Dennis GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2023Engineering partnership with Dennis Group for development of first manufacturing plant overseas with capacity to produce at least 12,000 tons of cultivated meat per year using 200,000 litres of fermentation capacity.
• Alternative Protein Association (APA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2022Founding member of the APA, the largest alternative protein association in Europe, designed to promote alternative protein value and tackle food insecurity, climate change, and intensive farming.
• HeckminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2021Discussions with family-owned sausage company Heck about potential partnership to create a sustainable product alongside their traditional livestock-based meat range, using proprietary technology for up to 92% less carbon emissions.
• University of OxfordcoreTechnology or IntegrationLicenses technology from University of Oxford where the biotechnology was originally developed. University provided seed funding and is represented on the Board of Directors. R&D team works at Oxford facilities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Upside Foods: US-based cultivated meat pioneer producing cell-cultivated beef, chicken, and duck. Direct competitor in the cultivated-meat category with similar B2B licensing and consumer-product ambitions, and the closest large-scale US analog to Ivy Farm's UK strategy.
• Eat Just (GOOD Meat): Operates GOOD Meat, one of the first cultivated-meat divisions to receive regulatory approval (Singapore, US). Competes with Ivy Farm in cultivated chicken and beef, with established restaurant and retail partnerships.
• Mosa Meat: Dutch cultivated-beef pioneer that produced the first lab-grown burger in 2013. Targets cultivated beef mince with comparable bioprocess approach and European regulatory pathway — making it one of Ivy Farm's closest geographic and product peers.
• Aleph Farms: Israeli cultivated-beef company producing cell-grown steaks and minced beef. Competes in cultivated beef with similar premium-retail and food-service partnerships, including in Europe and Asia.
• Believer Meats (formerly Meatable): Cultivated-meat company developing pork and beef using opti-ox cell technology. Direct peer in cultivated pork/beef with European (Dutch) roots and ambitions to be a low-cost cultivated-meat producer.
• Future Meat Technologies: Israeli cultivated-meat company focused on cost reduction and scaling chicken, beef, and lamb. Comparable cultivated-meat producer targeting affordable price points via proprietary bioprocess technology.
• Mission Barns: US cultivated-fat and cultivated-meat company with a focus on hybrid plant-and-cell products. Comparable in cultivated-meat ambition with a particular emphasis on fat cells and B2B ingredient supply.
• SuperMeat: Israeli cultivated-chicken company that operates a pilot restaurant and pursues B2B licensing. Comparable cultivated-meat peer with a restaurant-as-test-kitchen go-to-market approach.
• SCiFI Foods: US cultivated-meat startup producing cell-based beef using a scaffold-free approach. Direct peer in cultivated beef with similar emphasis on hybrid products and cost reduction.

Broad incumbents

• Tyson Foods: Largest US meat producer with a venture arm that has invested in cultivated and alternative proteins. Comparable as a broad incumbent that is both a potential customer and a competitor to cultivated-meat specialists like Ivy Farm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ivyfarm_tech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ivyfarm
• TikToktiktok.com/@ivyfarm
• Facebookfacebook.com/ivyfarmtechnologies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ivy Farm Technologies