ZETA steps up BeneMeat collaboration with Prague scale-up visit

International bioprocess engineering company ZETA is exploring closer technical cooperation with BeneMeat after a senior delegation visited the cultivated meat company’s production and development facility in Prague.

The visit was led by ZETA Managing Director Alfred Marchler and focused on BeneMeat’s cultivated meat technology, the progress it has made toward industrial production and the engineering requirements involved in scaling biological processes beyond the laboratory.

• ZETA Managing Director Alfred Marchler led a senior delegation to BeneMeat’s production and development facility in Prague.
• The visit focused on cultivated meat scale-up, industrial bioprocessing requirements and potential areas for closer technical cooperation.
• BeneMeat says its technology is already entering commercial use, including as an ingredient in wet dog food sold by FORZA10.

It followed previous collaboration between the two companies and ZETA’s interest in gaining a more detailed understanding of BeneMeat’s technology and its future development.

The delegation also included Alexander Lausecker, Head of Sales Eastern Europe & Middle East; André Kruse, Business Development Manager; and Hans Eder, Associate Director Business Line Sustainable Energy Solutions.

During the visit, ZETA representatives toured BeneMeat’s production and development facility and reviewed the company’s work across biological research, process development and the technologies needed for industrial-scale manufacturing.

The discussions covered technical and operational requirements, further technology development and potential areas for future cooperation as BeneMeat continues work on scaling its cultivated meat platform.

“I am deeply impressed by the speed at which BeneMeat is transforming its vision into reality,” Marchler said. “What stands out most is the company’s unique combination of scientific excellence, entrepreneurial courage, and an open mindset toward innovation and digital technologies.”

Marchler added that ZETA sees scope for deeper cooperation between the companies as BeneMeat moves further into industrialization.

“We are proud to support this journey with our expertise and look forward to expanding our cooperation even further,” he said. “Together, I believe we can unlock new opportunities by combining advanced technologies, digitalization, and engineering know-how to create lasting value and accelerate innovation for the industry.”

ZETA specializes in bioprocess systems and engineering for biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Its capabilities include manufacturing process and equipment design, bioreactors, automation and digital solutions, as well as scaling biotechnology processes from laboratory development to industrial production.

That expertise gives the two companies a clear area of overlap as cultivated meat developers move from research and development into larger-scale manufacturing, where equipment design, process control, automation and reliable operating conditions become increasingly important.

BeneMeat has developed its technology around an integrated approach to cultivated meat production and employs more than 150 specialists across biology, chemistry, hardware, software, regulatory affairs and final product development.

Its work covers cell lines, cultivation media, bioprocessing, analytics, automation and production scale-up, with the company developing its own technological solutions across the production process.

“The fact that a company with such extensive experience in industrial bioprocessing wants to gain a detailed understanding of our technology and its further development is an important signal for us,” said Petr Sebera, CTO of BeneMeat.

“Cultivated meat is moving from laboratory research towards real industrial production, and at this stage, connecting biotechnology with high-quality process engineering becomes essential.”

BeneMeat has already obtained registration for production in the European Union, while its cells are listed in the EU Feed Materials Register for use in pet food.

Its cultivated meat technology has also begun moving into commercial applications. BeneMeat cultivated meat is used as an ingredient in Coolty Meat, a complete wet dog food produced by Italian pet food brand FORZA10.

According to BeneMeat, the product represents the world’s first complete wet dog food containing cultivated meat.

The meeting in Prague concluded with both companies agreeing to continue technical discussions around process requirements, further development and possible cooperation on the scale-up of BeneMeat’s biotechnology platform.

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