The Cultured Hub
The Cultured Hub AG operates a 1,600m2 shared bioprocess facility in Kemptthal, Switzerland, providing contract scale-up services for cellular agriculture startups. A joint venture of Givaudan, Bühler, and Migros, it serves cultured meat, precision fermentation, and plant cell culture companies bridging from bench-top to industrial production.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersKemptthal, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Cultured Hub does
The Cultured Hub AG is a Swiss-based B2B contract manufacturing and scale-up services provider for cellular agriculture startups. Founded as a joint venture between Givaudan (flavors and biotechnology), Bühler Group (industrial food production equipment), and Migros (Switzerland's largest retailer) in 2021, the company operates a 1,600m2 shared bioprocess facility at Kemptpark 21/23 in Kemptthal, Switzerland. The facility was completed in June 2022 and commercially launched in 2023, and includes Cell Lab Suites, a Cell Pilot Suite, a Fermentation Suite, an Analytics Suite, and Downstream Processing & Kitchen space, enabling startups to scale from bench-top experiments to 1,000-liter pilot production without investing in their own pilot infrastructure. CEO Yannick Jones leads the company, with Bühler CTO Ian Roberts serving as CTO.
The Cultured Hub offers three core service lines: cultured meat, fish, and seafood scale-up services (supporting beef, fish, shrimp, and dairy cell types), precision fermentation services (for animal-free proteins and bioactive compounds produced via engineered microorganisms), and plant cell culturing services (for cocoa, coffee, and citrus ingredients, launched in December 2025). The business model is managed services revenue: startups pay quote-based service fees for facility usage, technical expertise, and process development support. Customer reach is via direct B2B engagement, industry events such as the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025, and the networks of the three JV parents. Notable partnerships include Aleph Farms (which uses Kemptthal as its European manufacturing node ahead of a targeted 2027 commercial launch) and an ecosystem of approximately 30 plant cell culture and alternative protein innovators.
The company is privately held, employs 1-10 people, and does not disclose financial data. Capital is provided by the three JV parents, and the venture is structured as a self-sustained enterprise rather than a venture-backed startup, with no external funding rounds disclosed. Switzerland is positioned as the gateway to Europe for cultured food development, and the facility's regulatory-ready infrastructure is designed to support startups through approvals and consumer testing phases.
The Cultured Hub firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Cultured Hub
- Legal name
- The Cultured Hub AG
- Website
- https://theculturedhub.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Cultured Hub AG operates a 1,600m2 shared bioprocess facility in Kemptthal, Switzerland, providing contract scale-up services for cellular agriculture startups. A joint venture of Givaudan, Bühler, and Migros, it serves cultured meat, precision fermentation, and plant cell culture companies bridging from bench-top to industrial production.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Cultured Hub industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cellular Agriculture Biomanufacturing Services
- NAICS
- Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bioprocessing & Fermentation Manufacturing (Bioreactors, Scale-Up, Toll/CMO) (AFANAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cultivated Meat Producers (Cell-Cultured Meat & Seafood) (AFANAKAC), Cell Culture & Bioprocess Lab Equipment (Bioreactors, Single-Use Systems, Controllers) (HLAGAIAG)
Keywords
Where The Cultured Hub is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kemptthal
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Cultured Hub business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Contract Manufacturing & Scale-Up Services: The Cultured Hub provides scale-up facilities and bioprocess services as a contract manufacturer, enabling startups to bridge from bench top to industrial production without capital investment in their own pilot facilities. Revenue is generated through service fees for facility usage, technical expertise, and process development support. This is a service-based model targeting biotech and food-tech startups requiring industrial manufacturing capabilities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Cultured Hub product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Cultured Hub provides shared bioprocess scale-up infrastructure and contract manufacturing services that enable cellular agriculture startups to bridge from bench-top research to industrial production. The 1,600m2 facility in Kemptthal, Switzerland supports cultured meat, fish and seafood scale-up (beef, fish, shrimp, dairy cells), precision fermentation (animal-free proteins and bioactive compounds), and plant cell culture (cocoa, coffee, citrus ingredients). Services include technology transfer, process development, regulatory batch production, and small market launch manufacturing, eliminating the need for startups to invest in their own pilot facilities.
Product overview
The Cultured Hub is a joint venture between Givaudan, Bühler Group, and Migros providing shared bioprocess infrastructure as a service to accelerate cellular agriculture and sustainable protein production. The platform offers three core service lines: cultured meat scale-up services (including cell lab, pilot, and cultivation capabilities for beef, fish, shrimp, and dairy), precision fermentation services for animal-free proteins and bioactive compounds, and a recently launched plant cell culturing platform for cocoa, coffee, and citrus ingredients. The 1,600m2 facility in Kemptthal, Switzerland includes specialized suites for technology transfer, large-scale production, fermentation, analytics, and downstream processing, enabling startups to scale from bench top to 1,000-liter pilot production without heavy capital investment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cultured Meat Scale-Up Services Provides biotech scaling facilities enabling startups to bridge from bench top to industrial production for cultured meat, fish, and seafood products, including regulatory batch creation and food safety procedures. Supports cell types including beef, fish, shrimp, and dairy.
- Precision Fermentation Services
Companies that use The Cultured Hub
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Cultured Hub technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Cultured Hub partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered founding/joint venture, core and minor.
- Givaudanfounding/joint ventureGivaudan, one of the three founding Swiss partners in The Cultured Hub joint venture, contributes expertise in flavor development, meat alternatives, biotechnology, and product development. Givaudan's Fabio Campanile stated: 'With The Cultured Hub, we aim to accelerate the ecosystem for cultured food and innovation.' Givaudan is a global leader in flavors and fragrances serving food manufacturers worldwide.
- Bühler Groupfounding/joint ventureBühler Group is a founding Swiss partner providing industry-leading production equipment expertise for scaling and producing food products on a global scale. Bühler's Ian Roberts noted: 'The Hub can enable start-ups to eliminate funding rounds to build small-scale facilities, thus avoiding equity dilution.' Bühler's CTO Ian Roberts serves as Chief Technology Officer for the hub and drives technology strategy.
- Migros (ELSA Group)founding/joint ventureMigros, Switzerland's largest and most sustainable retailer, serves as a founding partner providing expertise in customer interaction, market cultivation, and consumer insight. Migros' Matthew Robin (ELSA Group) stated: 'We see Switzerland as the gateway to Europe when it comes to the development of cultured foods.' Migros brings retail market access and consumer reach to the ecosystem.
- Aleph FarmscoreAleph Farms, an Israeli cultivated meat startup, partnered with The Cultured Hub as its European manufacturing partner to build production capacity alongside other partners. Aleph Farms has raised $147 million and operates a plant in Israel. The partnership is part of Aleph Farms' hub-and-spoke model targeting cultivated meat product launch by 2027, with The Cultured Hub serving as the European manufacturing node.
- Ergo BioscienceminorErgo Bioscience was among the innovators presenting their plant cell culture technologies at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025 hosted by The Cultured Hub, focusing on alternative ingredient production.
- CoffeesaiminorCoffeesai was among the innovators presenting their plant cell culture technologies at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025 hosted by The Cultured Hub, specializing in cell-based coffee production.
- Celleste BiominorCelleste Bio presented their cocoa cell culture technology at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025 hosted by The Cultured Hub, contributing to discussions on climate-resilient cocoa sourcing.
- KokomodominorKokomodo was among the plant cell culture innovators presenting at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025 hosted by The Cultured Hub, focusing on alternative cocoa ingredient production.
- Food BrewerminorFood Brewer was among the startups presenting their technologies at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025, exploring alternative ingredient production through plant cell culture.
- GALYminorGALY presented their plant cell culture work at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025 hosted by The Cultured Hub, contributing to the ecosystem of innovators in alternative ingredient production.
- Phyton BiotechminorPhyton Biotech presented their plant cell culture capabilities at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025, exploring scalable production of high-value plant compounds.
- Spicy CellsminorSpicy Cells presented their citrus and specialty plant cell culture innovations at the Cultured Plant Cell Event 2025 hosted by The Cultured Hub.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Cultured Hub competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ginkgo Bioworks: US-based synthetic biology platform offering cell engineering and biomanufacturing services at scale. Operates a much broader horizontal biofoundry model compared to TCH's food-specific vertical focus, but directly comparable as a bioprocess-as-a-service provider to startups.
- Resilience: US-based biomanufacturing CDMO offering process development and manufacturing services across biologics and advanced therapies. Larger and more established than TCH but comparable contract manufacturing and process development business model serving innovative biotech customers.
Emerging players
- Solar Foods: Finnish precision fermentation company producing animal-free protein from CO2 and electricity. Directly relevant as a potential TCH customer in the precision fermentation segment, with comparable scale-up needs and European regulatory pathway focus.
- Upside Foods: US cultivated meat company that built and operates its own large-scale production facility. Represents the alternative vertical-integration path that TCH's customers might pursue; comparable end-product focus but opposing go-to-market (own manufacturing vs. shared infrastructure).
- Eat Just (GOOD Meat): Cultivated meat division of Eat Just, among the first to receive regulatory approval (Singapore, US). Comparable in being a TCH-adjacent cultivated meat player, though vertically integrated with own production rather than using shared infrastructure.
Direct peers
- Centre for Process Innovation (CPI): UK-based technology and innovation centre offering scale-up facilities and process development for biologics, food, and industrial biotechnology. Operates shared pilot-scale infrastructure analogous to TCH's Kemptthal facility, including bioprocess suites and downstream processing capabilities.
- Wageningen Food & Biobased Research: Dutch research institute with significant pilot-scale food and fermentation infrastructure serving startups and food companies. Comparable shared bioprocess and food innovation facility model, with strong European cultivated meat and alternative protein research activities.
- Culture Biosciences: US-based fermentation CDMO offering bioreactor capacity-as-a-service to biotech companies. Directly comparable business model to TCH: shared bioprocess infrastructure with cloud-based remote monitoring, serving precision fermentation and synthetic biology startups.
- BioBase Europe Pilot Plant: Belgium/Netherlands-based open innovation pilot facility providing scale-up services for bio-based and food ingredients. Closest geographic peer to TCH in Europe, offering fermentation and downstream processing capabilities for startups and corporates transitioning from lab to commercial production.
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish state-owned research institute operating pilot-scale food and biotechnology facilities, including cellular agriculture and precision fermentation scale-up services. Comparable in offering contract scale-up and process development to startups and corporate clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Cultured Hub social profiles
Digital presenceThe Cultured Hub financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Cultured Hub leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Cultured Hub funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Cultured Hub 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 The Cultured Hub
What does The Cultured Hub do?
The Cultured Hub provides shared bioprocess scale-up infrastructure and contract manufacturing services that enable cellular agriculture startups to bridge from bench-top research to industrial production. The 1,600m2 facility in Kemptthal, Switzerland supports cultured meat, fish and seafood scale-up (beef, fish, shrimp, dairy cells), precision fermentation (animal-free proteins and bioactive compounds), and plant cell culture (cocoa, coffee, citrus ingredients). Services include technology transfer, process development, regulatory batch production, and small market launch manufacturing, eliminating the need for startups to invest in their own pilot facilities.
Is The Cultured Hub a public or private company?
The Cultured Hub is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Cultured Hub founded?
The Cultured Hub was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Cultured Hub based?
The Cultured Hub is headquartered in Kemptthal, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does The Cultured Hub make money?
One revenue line is on record: contract Manufacturing & Scale-Up Services.
Who are The Cultured Hub's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ginkgo Bioworks and Resilience. Emerging players are Solar Foods, Upside Foods and Eat Just (GOOD Meat). Direct peers are Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, Culture Biosciences, BioBase Europe Pilot Plant and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
Does The Cultured Hub have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Cultured Hub.
What industry is The Cultured Hub in?
The Cultured Hub's product category is Cellular Agriculture Biomanufacturing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANAKAF, Bioprocessing & Fermentation Manufacturing (Bioreactors, Scale-Up, Toll/CMO), with a secondary code of AFANAKAC, Cultivated Meat Producers (Cell-Cultured Meat & Seafood). Its NAICS code is 311 and its SIC code is 8731.