ORF Genetics secures €5 million to scale barley-based growth factors for cultivated meat

ORF Genetics has raised €5 million (US$5.5 million) to expand production of its MESOkine growth-factor portfolio, with the Icelandic biotech planning to increase the round to €7 million (US$7.7 million) by mid-October. The company said the investment will allow it to scale capacity fourteenfold by 2027 and by a factor of 10,000 by 2032, as demand for inputs to cultivated meat production accelerates.

Growth factors are among the most critical and costly ingredients in cell-cultivation media. ORF, which produces them in bioengineered barley, argues that its approach offers a sustainable, safe, and highly cost-effective alternative to conventional systems based on microbial fermentation. With 17 years of experience supplying recombinant proteins to research and cosmetics markets, the company is now positioning MESOkine as a solution to help cultivated meat companies transition from pilot projects to large-scale production.

“From the outset, our vision was to use plants to produce unique proteins,” said Dr Björn Örvar, Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer in a recent interview with Protein Production Technology International. “We chose barley because of its natural advantages. The barley seed processes proteins efficiently, and when stored, the proteins remain intact for extended periods – ideal for large-scale applications.”

ORF’s proprietary Orfeus expression system uses barley grain to produce recombinant proteins, notably growth factors under its ISOkine and MESOkine brands. Unlike traditional systems that rely on E. coli or yeast, barley offers scalability with relatively low input requirements. It can be cultivated even in Iceland’s harsh climate without competing for premium agricultural land, and its biological containment properties reduce the risk of cross-pollination.

The company’s discovery that animal growth factors for cultivated meat do not need to be highly purified has further shifted the cost equation. By simplifying downstream processing, ORF can deliver growth factors at significantly lower cost while maintaining the performance needed for cell proliferation and differentiation.

“When we launched our MESOkine portfolio of animal growth factors in 2020, it was a tough sell,” Örvar recalls. “Startups were accustomed to highly purified growth factors from E. coli or yeast. Convincing them to switch to plant-based alternatives that weren’t highly purified was challenging.”

To build confidence, ORF distributed free samples to cultivated meat startups, allowing direct comparisons with conventional options. The strategy paid off. Today, ORF collaborates with several companies, including Australian producer Vow, which has launched products in Singapore and Hong Kong using MESOkine growth factors.

“We’re proud to be part of Vow’s journey,” says Örvar. “They’re an incredible company with a bold vision.”

The company’s expansion plans are part of a broader ambition to make Iceland a focal point for cultivated meat innovation. ORF has already hosted multiple tasting events in Reykjavik, providing startups with opportunities to engage stakeholders and regulators. According to Örvar, government backing has been instrumental. “The Icelandic government has been incredibly supportive, and we see a future where Iceland becomes a leading center for both testing and producing cultivated meat,” he says.

ORF’s modular, low-tech production system is designed with scalability in mind. By using plants rather than fermentation tanks, the company believes it can achieve the volumes required to support commercial cultivated meat production globally. “We’ve always prioritized scalable technology,” Örvar explains. “Our modular approach allows us to produce volumes that few others in the industry can match. We’ve set ambitious goals for our production capacity and are well on track to achieve them.”

The €5 million funding round remains open, with ORF inviting additional participation to reach €7 million. The company said the capital will accelerate production capacity and strengthen its MESOkine portfolio, preparing it for the next phase of industry growth.

Despite long-standing skepticism toward genetically modified crops, ORF is confident its plant-based system is both safe and commercially viable. “In the early 2000s, we avoided developing plants with agricultural traits due to the strong anti-GMO sentiment,” Örvar reflects. “Honestly, I didn’t expect the debate to last this long. Despite overwhelming scientific consensus on GMO safety, public and political resistance remains.”

Even so, ORF sees the opportunity as too great to ignore. With cultivated meat approvals expanding worldwide, and with cost reductions hinging on affordable growth factors, the company believes its barley platform can help unlock scale.

“The potential applications for plant-based recombinant proteins are immense,” says Örvar. “By continuing to refine our platform and collaborating closely with industry leaders, we aim to play a key role in shaping sustainable and innovative protein production.”