Uncommon
Uncommon is a Cambridge-based biotech company that has pivoted from cultivated pork production using RNA technology to a nucleic acid delivery platform called SymphoRNA, following the 2025 sale of its cultivated meat platform to Vow.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersCambridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Uncommon does
Uncommon is a Cambridge, UK-based biotechnology company that originated in the cultivated meat sector, developing cultivated pork products using proprietary RNA technology and nucleic acid delivery techniques for cell programming and differentiation. The company combined plant-based protein expertise with cell-cultured meat methods to produce pork without animal slaughter, targeting the alternative protein market with a value proposition centered on environmental sustainability and animal welfare.
The business model was originally structured around commercial sale of cultivated meat products, with a $30 million Series A round raised in June 2023 (led by Balderton Capital and Lowercarbon Capital, with participation from Sam Altman) intended to fund regulatory approval, production scale-up, and team expansion. The company employed between 51 and 100 staff, including a CSO, VP of Operations, and Head of R&D, indicating meaningful R&D and bioprocess capacity.
In 2025, Uncommon executed a strategic pivot: it sold its cultivated meat platform to Vow (an alternative meat producer) and subsequently launched SymphoRNA, a new platform leveraging its nucleic acid delivery technology. The company now positions itself around SymphoRNA rather than end-product meat sales, with no disclosed revenue, customers, or distribution channels for the new platform.
Uncommon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Uncommon
- Legal name
- Uncommon
- Website
- https://uncommonbio.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Uncommon is a Cambridge-based biotech company that has pivoted from cultivated pork production using RNA technology to a nucleic acid delivery platform called SymphoRNA, following the 2025 sale of its cultivated meat platform to Vow.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Uncommon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biotechnology - Nucleic Acid Delivery
- NAICS
- Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)
- SIC
- Meat Packing Plants (2011), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hybrid Meat Products (Blended Plant-Based + Cultivated/Conventional) (AFANAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals) (AFANAKAO)
Keywords
Where Uncommon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Uncommon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Cultivated Meat Products: The company is developing cultivated pork products for commercial sale. Revenue model is likely to involve product sales once regulatory approval is obtained and production is scaled up.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Uncommon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Uncommon is a Cambridge-based biotechnology company that originally developed cultivated pork products using proprietary RNA technology and nucleic acid delivery. After selling its cultivated meat platform to Vow, the company has pivoted to launch SymphoRNA, a nucleic acid delivery technology platform representing its next chapter of operation.
Product overview
Uncommon is a biotechnology company that has transitioned from cultivated meat production to nucleic acid delivery technology. After selling their cultivated platform to Vow, the company launched SymphoRNA as their primary product. The company previously developed RNA technology for cultivated pork products and had raised $30 million in Series A funding for scaling artificial pork meat production using plant-based and cell-cultured meat expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SymphoRNA: A new platform launched by Uncommon focusing on world-class nucleic acid delivery technology.
Products and services
- SymphoRNA A nucleic acid delivery technology platform developed by Uncommon, representing the company's next-generation direction following the divestiture of its cultivated meat business to Vow. Targeted at enabling efficient cell programming using proprietary nucleic acid delivery capabilities.
- Cultivated Pork Products Cultivated pork products developed using RNA technology and cell-cultured meat expertise, designed to deliver meat without animal slaughter for consumers seeking sustainable alternative protein. The platform was sold to Vow in 2025.
Quantifiable outcome
- Development of cultivated pork products without animal slaughter
Companies that use Uncommon
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Uncommon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Uncommon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- VowcoreAcquired Uncommon's cultivated platform. This represents a strategic transaction where Vow gained access to Uncommon's cultivated meat technology and platform capabilities. Uncommon has since pivoted to focus on its nucleic acid delivery technology under the SymphoRNA brand.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Uncommon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Moderna: Massachusetts-based biotech company whose mRNA and lipid nanoparticle delivery platform is the dominant commercial example of nucleic acid delivery at scale. Relevant broad incumbent given Uncommon's post-pivot SymphoRNA nucleic acid delivery focus.
- Impossible Foods: California-based plant-based meat company producing beef and pork alternatives. Broad incumbent in alternative protein with overlapping end-markets to Uncommon's original cultivated pork mission.
Direct peers
- Aleph Farms: Israel-based cultivated beef company using proprietary cell-cultivation platforms. Comparable to Uncommon's cultivated meat origins and RNA/cell programming technology approach.
- Eat Just: San Francisco-based food technology company best known for its cultivated chicken product (GOOD Meat) and plant-based JUST Egg. Directly comparable as a cultivated meat peer that combines cell-cultured and plant-based protein expertise.
- Future Meat Technologies: Israel-based cultivated meat company producing cell-cultured chicken, beef, lamb, and pork. Directly comparable as a cultivated meat peer with multi-species production capabilities similar to Uncommon's original cultivated pork focus.
- Upside Foods: Emeryville-based cultivated meat company (formerly Memphis Meats) producing cell-cultured poultry, beef, and duck. Direct peer in cultivated protein technology with similar regulatory approval milestones.
- Vow: Australia-based cultivated meat company that acquired Uncommon's cultivated meat platform in 2025. Most directly comparable peer as it now owns and continues to develop the exact technology Uncommon sold.
- BlueNalu: San Diego-based cultivated seafood company producing cell-cultured fish products. Comparable peer in the cultivated meat space with similar production scale-up and regulatory challenges.
- Mosa Meat: Netherlands-based cultivated beef company founded by the pioneers of cell-cultured meat. Directly comparable to Uncommon as a European cultivated meat peer pursuing regulatory approval and scale-up.
- Wildtype: San Francisco-based company developing cultivated seafood, starting with salmon. Comparable alternative protein peer pursuing cultivated cell-based products through regulatory pathways.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Uncommon social profiles
Digital presenceUncommon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Uncommon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Uncommon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Uncommon 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 Uncommon
What does Uncommon do?
Uncommon is a Cambridge-based biotechnology company that originally developed cultivated pork products using proprietary RNA technology and nucleic acid delivery. After selling its cultivated meat platform to Vow, the company has pivoted to launch SymphoRNA, a nucleic acid delivery technology platform representing its next chapter of operation.
Is Uncommon a public or private company?
Uncommon is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Uncommon founded?
Uncommon was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Uncommon based?
Uncommon is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Uncommon make money?
One revenue line is on record: cultivated Meat Products.
Who are Uncommon's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Moderna and Impossible Foods. Direct peers are Aleph Farms, Eat Just, Future Meat Technologies, Upside Foods, Vow, BlueNalu, Mosa Meat and Wildtype.
Does Uncommon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Uncommon.
What industry is Uncommon in?
Uncommon's product category is Biotechnology - Nucleic Acid Delivery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANAKAJ, Hybrid Meat Products (Blended Plant-Based + Cultivated/Conventional), with a secondary code of AFANAKAO, Finished Meat-Alternative Prepared Foods (Nuggets, Burgers, Sausages, Ready Meals). Its NAICS code is 3116 and its SIC code is 2011.