Biftek
Biftek is a Delaware-incorporated biotechnology company founded in 2020 that develops microorganism-based growth medium supplements to replace fetal bovine serum in cultivated meat production, selling B2B to cultured meat manufacturers. The company is at an early stage with no disclosed commercial customers or revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNewark, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Biftek does
Biftek is a Delaware-incorporated biotechnology company founded in 2020 that develops microorganism-based growth medium supplements for the cultivated meat industry. Its single core product is designed to replace fetal bovine serum (FBS), the dominant and costly input in cultured meat cell proliferation, with a natural, cost-effective alternative derived from microorganisms. The company claims this replacement reduces cultured meat production costs "dramatically" while preserving cell growth viability, enabling what it describes as healthier, disease-free meat production without genetic modifications or antibiotics.
The company operates a B2B model, selling its growth medium supplement directly to cultured meat manufacturers as an upstream input supplier. Distribution is direct enterprise sales; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Biftek's founding team is concentrated in cell biology and bioprocess expertise — a CSO with a PhD from the University of Cincinnati in Cellular and Molecular Biology, a CTO from Bilkent University's Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, a CEO, and a CFO with an engineering and economics background. The team and investor base (TRANGELS, Sankonline, StartersHub, Kültepe Investment) suggest Turkish origins, with the company formalizing a US corporate base in Newark, Delaware and securing international food-tech backers including Big Idea Ventures and Cult Food Science.
Across 2020–2023, Biftek executed six disclosed funding events, raising roughly $1.57M in small tranches plus a $12.5M valuation event in September 2021, with no named commercial customers, no revenue, and headcount capped at 1–10 employees. The company remains at an early stage: the technology is a single specialty input targeting a single vertical (cultured meat manufacturers), and operational momentum is indicated more by repeated small financings and continued web presence than by any disclosed commercial traction.
Biftek firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Biftek
- Legal name
- Biftek INC.
- Website
- https://biftek.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Biftek is a Delaware-incorporated biotechnology company founded in 2020 that develops microorganism-based growth medium supplements to replace fetal bovine serum in cultivated meat production, selling B2B to cultured meat manufacturers. The company is at an early stage with no disclosed commercial customers or revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Biftek industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cell Culture Media
- NAICS
- Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119)
- SIC
- Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultivated (Cell-Based) Protein Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAI)
Keywords
Where Biftek is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newark
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Biftek business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Growth medium supplement sales: Biftek generates revenue by selling their proprietary growth medium supplements to cultured meat manufacturers. The product serves as a cost-effective replacement for fetal bovine serum, targeting B2B customers in the cultivated meat industry.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Biftek product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Biftek produces and sells a microorganism-based growth medium supplement used by cultured meat manufacturers to grow animal cells. The supplement is designed as a direct, cost-effective replacement for fetal bovine serum (FBS), aiming to lower the largest cost component of cultivated meat production. The product is sold to B2B customers in the cellular agriculture industry.
Product overview
Biftek offers a single unified core product: the Biftek Growth Medium Supplement. This growth medium is designed specifically for the cultured meat industry, replacing costly fetal bovine serum (FBS) with a microorganism-based, natural alternative. The product works as a cost-reduction enabler for cultivated meat producers, allowing them to produce affordable, healthy, and ethically sourced meat without genetic modifications or antibiotics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Biftek Growth Medium Supplement A microorganism-based growth medium supplement sold to cultured meat manufacturers as a cost-effective replacement for fetal bovine serum (FBS) in cell culture. Designed to preserve cell growth viability while eliminating animal-derived components, antibiotics, and genetic modifications, enabling more affordable cultivated meat production.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 18% globally (cultured meat production)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Biftek
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Biftek technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Biftek partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Biftek competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- BlueNalu: US-based cultivated seafood company. Comparable as a cultivated protein manufacturer whose growth media sourcing decisions directly shape Biftek's addressable market in the seafood vertical.
- Eat Just (GOOD Meat): Cultivated meat subsidiary with active growth media research and one of the first companies to receive regulatory approval for cultivated meat. Operates in the same cultivated protein ecosystem and would be a direct Biftek customer or competitor depending on in-house media progress.
- Meatable: European cultivated meat company with proprietary single-cell technology and proprietary media. Comparable as a cultivated meat manufacturer developing its own input supply chain in the same market Biftek targets.
- UPSIDE Foods: US-based cultivated meat leader with significant proprietary growth media R&D. Both a potential Biftek customer and a competitor developing internal serum-free alternatives — comparable as a leading player in the same cultivated protein supply chain Biftek serves.
- Mosa Meat: Dutch cultivated beef pioneer with deep internal growth media expertise. Comparable as a long-standing cultivated meat player whose serum-replacement strategy sets industry benchmarks Biftek must match or beat.
- Believer Meats (formerly Future Meat Technologies): Israeli cultivated meat company with proprietary serum-free media technology. Comparable as a cultivated meat peer focused on cost reduction through media innovation — directly adjacent to Biftek's value proposition.
- Aleph Farms: Israel-based cultivated beef company with publicly disclosed proprietary serum-free media work. Comparable as a cultivated meat manufacturer whose media strategy directly determines Biftek's market opportunity.
Broad incumbents
- Lonza: Major cell culture media manufacturer with established biopharma customers and large-scale GMP capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent in cell culture inputs whose expansion into cultivated meat would directly compete with Biftek's niche.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences giant with the largest cell culture media portfolio serving biopharma. Represents the most significant scaling threat to Biftek — could leverage existing distribution, GMP manufacturing, and customer relationships to enter cultivated meat media if the market matures.
Regional players
- Integriculture: Japan-based cultivated meat company with proprietary serum-free CulNet system. Comparable as a regional cultivated meat peer pursuing serum-free media at scale, illustrating alternative technical paths Biftek competes against.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Biftek social profiles
Digital presenceBiftek financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Biftek leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Biftek funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Biftek M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Biftek
What does Biftek do?
Biftek produces and sells a microorganism-based growth medium supplement used by cultured meat manufacturers to grow animal cells. The supplement is designed as a direct, cost-effective replacement for fetal bovine serum (FBS), aiming to lower the largest cost component of cultivated meat production. The product is sold to B2B customers in the cellular agriculture industry.
Is Biftek a public or private company?
Biftek is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Biftek founded?
Biftek was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Biftek based?
Biftek is headquartered in Newark, United States, in the North America region.
How does Biftek make money?
One revenue line is on record: growth medium supplement sales.
Who are Biftek's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are BlueNalu, Eat Just (GOOD Meat), Meatable, UPSIDE Foods, Mosa Meat, Believer Meats (formerly Future Meat Technologies) and Aleph Farms. Broad incumbents are Lonza and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Integriculture is listed as a regional player.
Does Biftek have an API?
No public API is recorded for Biftek.
What industry is Biftek in?
Biftek's product category is Cell Culture Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAGAI, Cultivated (Cell-Based) Protein Foods Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 311119 and its SIC code is 2836.