Believer Meats partners with GEA to scale sustainable cultivated meat production

Believer Meats, a leader in the cultivated meat sector, has entered a strategic partnership with GEA, one of the largest global suppliers of production equipment and systems for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The collaboration aims to co-develop technologies and processes that will enhance the economic viability and sustainability of cultivated meat production.

The initial focus will be on improving the efficiency, performance, and environmental sustainability of cultivated meat production, beginning with chicken and later expanding to other products. The partnership will drive advancements in bioreactor systems, perfusion technologies, and media rejuvenation. Key goals include reducing the environmental impact through optimized use of water and energy, as well as adopting circular economy practices such as waste stream reuse. Together, Believer Meats and GEA are committed to lowering production costs, improving technology transfer, and efficiently scaling operations to make cultivated meat more accessible and affordable.

“Believer is making significant strides in overcoming the challenges of scaling cultivated meat production,” said Gustavo Burger, CEO of Believer Meats. “Partnering with GEA – a world-class leader in engineering and biotech equipment – allows us to innovate cutting-edge technologies and process engineering capabilities that are essential for producing cultivated meat at a commercially viable cost. GEA’s expertise will be instrumental in maximizing our production yields, all while ensuring sustainability – a top priority for us. This industry is pioneering a new frontier, and we’re excited to move forward together.”

“With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, it’s crucial to find ways to feed more people using fewer resources,” added Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA. “We share Believer’s belief that cell cultivation is key to providing safe, healthy, and affordable meat on a large scale. We look forward to working with Believer as they scale their operations, in alignment with our purpose of ‘Engineering for a better world.’”

This strategic partnership between Believer Meats and GEA aims to advance the cultivated meat industry toward full-scale production. The two companies also plan to explore joint commercial ventures, leveraging their combined strengths and resources to expand market reach and accelerate the industry’s global growth.

Believer Meats is at the forefront of the cultivated meat revolution, focusing on scalable and efficient cell cultivation methods to produce safe, healthy, and flavorful products. The company is building what will become the world’s largest cultivated meat production facility in Wilson, North Carolina, complete with an innovation center and tasting kitchen. Scheduled to be operational by early 2025, the facility will have the capacity to produce 12,000 metric tons (or 26 million lbs) of cultivated chicken annually – all without the need to slaughter animals.

As part of the partnership, GEA will design and commission custom bioreactors for Believer’s cell cultivation process, aimed at achieving high cell density and yields. A key element of the collaboration is Believer’s centrifuge-based perfusion system and media rejuvenation process, which optimizes cell performance while conserving water and other resources. This process minimizes production costs by removing byproducts and allowing for media reuse. The companies will continue to work together on optimizing equipment, refining processes, and scaling innovations to support large-scale cultivated meat production.