Meatable shuts down after funding efforts fall short

Dutch cultivated meat company Meatable has been dissolved, with its board and shareholders voting to wind down the business and terminate all operating activities after failing to secure continued funding, according to a statement released by investor Agronomics.

Agronomics, the London-listed company focused on clean food technologies, said the decision followed a review of strategic options and reflected Meatable’s inability to raise additional capital from either existing shareholders or new investors. The winding-up of the company and its related group entities will be carried out in line with applicable statutory liquidation procedures.

“Throughout 2025, Meatable has been subject to a variety of foreseeable and unforeseeable risks and uncertainties, which have had an impact on the company’s ability to execute its strategy and deliver its expected performance,” Agronomics said. “In particular, the company was unable to obtain continued funding from either existing shareholders or from new investors.”

The investor added that, following a thorough review of available options, the board and shareholders had concluded that an orderly wind-down of the business was the most appropriate course of action.

Meatable’s closure follows a year that included several high-profile developments, public-facing initiatives, and strategic activity that had pointed to continued momentum as recently as early 2025.

Founded in the Netherlands, Meatable had been among Europe’s more visible companies developing cell-cultivated meat, with a focus on pork. Its proprietary opti-ox technology was designed to accelerate cell differentiation and reduce production timelines, an approach the company said could support conventional meat supply chains by providing additional capacity without animal slaughter.

In February 2025, Meatable hosted a global summit at its headquarters in Leiden, bringing together policymakers, investors, and leaders from across the food and meat industries to discuss the future of sustainable meat production. The event included tours of Meatable’s laboratory facilities, discussions on scaling cultivated meat, and tastings of products developed by the company.

Speaking at the event, Jeff Tripician, the former Chief Executive of Meatable, emphasized the importance of collaboration in accelerating change across the food system. “Action is what drives real progress,” he said. “By bringing together industry pioneers, we are forging partnerships that will shape the future of food.”

The summit, held under the theme of learning from past technological breakthroughs, underscored Meatable’s ambition to play a central role in the transition toward alternative proteins and was positioned as a platform for building future partnerships across the sector.

Just months later, in August 2025, Meatable announced the acquisition of a cultivated meat technology platform from UK-based startup Uncommon Bio, which had decided to pivot away from food applications and focus on RNA-based therapeutics. At the time, Meatable said the transaction would broaden its intellectual property base, add new cell lines, and integrate complementary RNA-enabled reprogramming and differentiation technologies.

The company said the expanded platform would help accelerate time to market, support regulatory progress in multiple regions, and enable expansion beyond pork and beef into additional species, including chicken and lamb. Executives described the deal as a decisive step toward scalable and commercially viable production.

Despite those developments, Agronomics said Meatable was ultimately unable to secure continued financial backing. The investor disclosed that it had invested a total of £7.9 million in Meatable, equivalent to around US$10.0 million. Prior to the announcement, the holding had been carried at £11.9 million, or approximately US$15.1 million, and will now be written down to zero.

The position represented around 8.10% of Agronomics’ last stated net asset value as of 30 September 2025, highlighting the material impact of the write-off on the investor’s portfolio.

Jim Mellon, Executive Chair of Agronomics, said the decision to dissolve Meatable had been taken responsibly despite the disappointing outcome. “While this outcome is disappointing, we believe the decision has been taken responsibly and in the best interests of all stakeholders,” he said. “Agronomics continues to actively manage its portfolio and remains focused on supporting its wider portfolio of businesses with strong long-term growth potential.”

Agronomics did not disclose whether Meatable’s intellectual property or other assets would be sold or transferred as part of the liquidation process.

The winding-up will now proceed in accordance with statutory procedures, bringing to an end Meatable’s operations after several years of development and a series of ambitious initiatives during 2025.