Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland

Name

Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland

Legal name

Stichting Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland

Website

https://cellulaireagricultuur.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cellular Agriculture Ecosystem Coordination

NAICS

Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM), Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening) (BPADAEAC), Forestry, Arboriculture & Silviculture (EDAOAOAJ)

Keywords

• Cellular agriculture ecosystem
• Precision fermentation coordination
• Cultivated meat development
• Alternative protein research
• Biotechnology scale-up infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Delft

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding / Grant Coordination: CAN operates as a non-profit foundation coordinating publicly funded programs. Primary funding from Dutch National Growth Fund (€60 million confirmed in 2022, with €25 million additional co-financing bringing total budget to €85 million). The funding supports public ecosystem development including education, research, scale-up facilities, societal integration, and innovation - explicitly not directed to private companies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland (CAN) is a non-profit foundation (Stichting) that coordinates and develops the Dutch cellular agriculture ecosystem across education, public research, scale-up infrastructure, societal integration, and innovation. It facilitates programmatic services including scale-up facility access (BFF and CaS), research coordination, expert-led tasting evaluations, the annual CANference, and the Advanced Course on Cellular Agriculture, all financed primarily through the Dutch National Growth Fund.

Product overview

Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland (CAN) is a foundation established in 2021 to stimulate cellular agriculture in the Netherlands and globally. Rather than offering a single product, CAN operates as a coordination and funding body managing multiple interconnected programs: it coordinates the National Growth Fund program (€60M + €25M co-financing) supporting education, public research, open-access scale-up facilities (BFF and CaS), societal integration, and innovation. CAN also facilitates tasting events for cultivated meat and precision fermentation products through expert committee evaluation, organizes the annual CANference conference, and partners with Biotechnology Academy Delft to deliver the Advanced Course on Cellular Agriculture. The organization serves as the central hub connecting universities, startups, industry partners, and government to build a complete cellular agriculture ecosystem in the Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CANference Annual conference bringing together European cellular agriculture ecosystem participants, with 200 selected attendees, keynote sessions, and breakout workshops enabling ecosystem collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
• Tasting Program Coordination (Proeverijen) Coordination of expert committee evaluations of dossiers from Dutch companies wanting to conduct controlled tastings of cultivated meat, fish, and precision fermentation products, providing a legally compliant pathway for consumer feedback prior to EU Novel Food approval.
• Advanced Course on Cellular Agriculture Professional training program on cellular agriculture covering precision fermentation and cultured meat production, organized in collaboration with Biotechnology Academy Delft at TU Delft for working professionals and post-docs.
• Scale-up Facilities Access Open-access infrastructure access for cellular agriculture companies, providing shared use of Biotechnology Fermentation Factory Ede (BFF) for precision fermentation and Cultivate at Scale (CaS) in Maastricht for cell cultivation, enabling R&D-to-industrial scale-up.
• Research Coordination Programs Coordination of publicly funded research programs including PhD/EngD positions and multi-partner consortia (UP-CELL, MeatUp, FungCows) focused on upscaling and cost reduction of precision fermentation and cultivated meat production.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% potential reduction in climate impact, 93% CO2 reduction, 95% land use reduction, 78% water use reduction compared to industrial meat production (CE Delft LCA study)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2025Open-access scale-up facility in Ede focused on precision fermentation. Empowered by NIZO with direct connection to NIZO's food-grade DSP pilot plant and food technology research. One of two national scale-up facilities coordinated through CAN.
• Cultivate at Scale (CaS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2025Independent open-access scale-up facility in Maastricht focused on cell culture bioprocesses. Spin-out of Mosa Meat, fully operational with experienced team that has successfully managed production batches for multiple cultivated meat companies. Supported by ecosystem suppliers for cell food, cell lines, and bioreactors.
• NIZO Food ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-leading private contract research organization specializing in food and health innovation for 75+ years. Hosts the BFF scale-up facility on its campus in Ede. Provides the largest open-access food-grade pilot plant in Europe, integrated upstream and downstream pilot facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories, and scaling infrastructure. Committed €5 million co-financing for BFF.
• Mosa MeatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch cultivated meat company that created the world's first cultivated beef hamburger in 2013. Spin-out from Maastricht University. Provided expertise and support for establishing the CaS scale-up facility in Maastricht. Leading company in the Dutch CA ecosystem.
• Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LVVN)coreOthersGovernment ministry coordinating with CAN on cellular agriculture program execution. Involved in establishing the National Growth Fund program and supporting scale-up facility development. Key partner for regulatory frameworks and policy alignment.
• Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS)coreOthersMinistry involved in establishing the regulatory framework for tasting events of cultivated meat and precision fermentation products. Collaborated with LVVN on November 2025 announcement of new national framework enabling fermentation tastings.
• TU DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Dutch technical university hosting CA research programs. Prof. Marcel Ottens leads CA research as Director of Research for CAN. Key research partner for cell engineering, bioprocess development, and AI/ML applications in CA (Dr. Joshua Flack's work on cell line prediction).
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-leading agricultural and food research university. Prof. René Wijffels serves as Director of Education for CAN. Key partner for public research, consumer perception studies, and food technology development.
• Maastricht UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch university with strong CA program through MERLN Institute. Prof. Lorenzo Moroni leads research in tissue engineering for cultivated meat. Hosts Cultivate at Scale spin-out from Mosa Meat. Key partner for whole-meat cut biomanufacturing research.
• NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain Dutch science funding organization. Collaborated with CAN to develop research calls for CA. Executes thematic programs for research, knowledge development, and innovation funded through National Growth Fund. Awards €4.1 million to three research consortia.
• MeatablemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch cultivated meat startup developing proprietary optiOx technology for rapid production of cultivated meat. Founding member of the CAN consortium. Represents innovative private sector contributing to ecosystem development.
• UnilevermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal consumer goods giant and founding CAN consortium member. Represents large industry interest in alternative proteins and potential commercialization pathway for CA products.
• DSMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch science-based technology company operating in health, nutrition, and materials. Founding CAN consortium member bringing expertise in fermentation technology and global market reach.
• NutrecomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch animal nutrition and aquafeed company. Founding CAN consortium member representing traditional agricultural industry's transition interest in cellular agriculture.
• Those Vegan CowboysmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch biotech startup working on precision fermentation for casein and dairy proteins without animals. Will van den Tweel (CTO) serves on CAN Supervisory Board. Partner in FungCows research consortium.
• CE DelftmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent research consultancy conducting Life Cycle Analysis showing 92% climate impact reduction potential for cultivated meat. Founding consortium member providing environmental impact expertise.
• Planet B.iomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation campus for biotech companies in the Netherlands. Collaborated with CAN on labor market research for CA sector. Supports ecosystem development for CA startups and scale-ups.
• FrieslandCampinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Dutch dairy cooperative representing traditional dairy industry's interest in cellular agriculture and precision fermentation for dairy proteins.
• The Protein BrewerymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch company developing fungal protein products through biomass fermentation. Founding consortium member representing innovative fermentation technology sector.
• RESPECTfarmsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch company focused on cellular agriculture solutions for farmers, helping agricultural sector transition to CA technologies.
• HollandBiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch biotech industry association representing biotech companies in the Netherlands. Key partner in developing the Code of Practice for tasting events and regulatory frameworks.
• Innovation QuarterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development agency for South Holland supporting innovation and economic development. Partner in ecosystem development for CA sector.
• New HarvestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based nonprofit research institute dedicated to advancing cellular agriculture. Founding consortium member bringing international research coordination perspective.
• CellAg.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization dedicated to cellular agriculture advancement. Founding consortium member supporting ecosystem coordination.
• Biotechnology Academy DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational organization organizing post-doctoral biotech courses at TU Delft. Organizes the Advanced Course on Cellular Agriculture covering precision fermentation and cultured meat. Key partner in CAN's education pillar.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Others

• HollandBio: Dutch biotech industry association and CAN consortium partner; broader biotech trade body that helped shape the Code of Practice — adjacent enabling organization with overlapping Dutch policy/networking function rather than direct competitive overlap on CA.
• InvestEU / European Innovation Council (EIC): EU-level funding mechanism that overlaps with CAN as an alternative-capital pathway for European CA scale-ups; CAN and EIC occasionally co-fund, but EIC is broader and not ecosystem-coordinator in the CA sense — included as an adjacent enabling institution.

Direct peers

• New Harvest: US-based non-profit research institute advancing cellular agriculture through coordinated research funding and ecosystem building — directly comparable mission and non-profit/foundation structure to CAN, operating as a peer coordinator rather than producer. Listed as a founding CAN consortium member.
• Cellular Agriculture Europe: European-level industry/policy trade body for cellular agriculture; CAN's community lead Tim van de Rijdt sits on its board. Overlapping advocacy, policy, and convening functions at EU rather than Dutch level — a natural counterpart and potential competitor for influence.
• CellAg.org: Global non-profit dedicated to advancing cellular agriculture with a near-identical stakeholder-coordination role to CAN — both connect companies, researchers, and policymakers; founding CAN consortium member, materially comparable in mission and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Alternative Proteins Association (APA): International trade body representing alternative-protein producers including cultivated meat companies; comparable convening/advocacy function but anchored on corporate membership rather than public funding, and operating globally rather than country-specific.
• Good Food Institute (GFI): Global non-profit coordinating alternative-protein science, policy, and corporate engagement across plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated — a broader scope than CAN but a directly comparable operating model: philanthropic/public funding, ecosystem coordination, and convening conferences and research grants.
• The Good Food Institute Europe: European arm of GFI working on EU policy and corporate engagement for alternative proteins; closely overlapping with CAN's European policy convening role and likely both ally and competing voice in Brussels.
• EIT Food: EU-public innovation partnership co-funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology that coordinates food-system actors including alternative proteins across Europe; larger scope and budget than CAN but same public-funded ecosystem-coordinator mandate.

Regional players

• Foodvalley NL: Dutch foundation coordinating the wider food-and-agri innovation ecosystem around Wageningen; comparable non-profit, publicly-backed, ecosystem-coordinator role, but broader food-tech scope rather than CA-specialized — a partial-overlap Dutch counterpart.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cellulaire-agricultuur-nederland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland