Mitsui Chemicals invests in Hoxton Farms to advance cultivated fat for food and beyond

Mitsui Chemicals has made a strategic investment in UK-based Hoxton Farms, a cultivated fat company using cell culture to produce animal fats for next-generation food products. The investment was made through 321FORCE, the corporate venture capital arm jointly run by Mitsui Chemicals and Global Brain Corporation.

Announced on 19 June, the move is part of Mitsui Chemicals’ broader push into biomanufacturing and sustainable innovation. The company plans to collaborate with Hoxton Farms to accelerate the commercialization of cultivated fats and explore applications across multiple sectors, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable materials, alongside food.

Founded in 2020 and based in London, Hoxton Farms develops its cultivated fat by combining molecular biology with mathematical modeling and machine learning. The company’s proprietary scale-out manufacturing process is designed to reduce production costs and lower the risks associated with mass production, aiming to make high-quality, animal-free fats commercially viable.

Cultivated fat has become an increasingly important component in the future of food, especially for companies seeking to improve the taste and texture of plant-based or hybrid meat products. As Hoxton Farms explains, fat is critical to replicating the flavor and juicy mouthfeel of conventional meat.

The company’s Max Jamilly, Co-founder & CEO, has previously stated that Hoxton’s mission is not to replicate meat itself, but to provide the high-quality fat that can transform existing meat alternatives into something more appealing to consumers – especially those who have been underwhelmed by earlier generations of plant-based products.

By investing now, Mitsui Chemicals is positioning itself at the forefront of this emerging ingredient category. The collaboration will also give Hoxton Farms access to Mitsui’s industrial expertise and global networks as it looks to scale production and secure commercial partners.

321FORCE, the fund responsible for the investment, was created to identify and support startups solving pressing global challenges. Managed by Global Brain and backed solely by Mitsui Chemicals, it invests across a wide range of sectors including life sciences, mobility, ICT, carbon neutrality, and new materials.

In a statement, Mitsui Chemicals said the fund will continue to work closely with startups like Hoxton Farms “to promptly grasp social issues and needs, and create solutions in response,” while also contributing to the growth of new business areas aligned with sustainable development goals.

The size of the investment was not disclosed.