Cellivate Technologies
Animal-free cell-based solution to supercharge cell growth
Bitesize Pitch: Cellivate Technologies provides proprietary solutions that help companies cultivate cells more cost-effectively while significantly enhancing cell production yield.
Setting the Problem
Many industries—such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and textiles—rely heavily on animal-derived products, leading to a complex array of ethical, environmental, and resource challenges.
Increasing pressure from consumers who demand more sustainable and cruelty-free alternatives, industries are shifting toward cellular agriculture as a viable solution.
Cellular agriculture is based on the idea that animals are made of cells, and these cells can be grown in labs to create alternatives to animal-based products. This approach is seen as a potential answer to the ethical and environmental problems caused by traditional animal farming
However, current technologies still face significant challenges, such as scalability and high costs, making them less competitive than traditional animal products
Solution
Cellivate Technologies addresses these key challenges with innovative solutions that enhance cell growth without relying on animal-derived materials. Here’s how they solve the problem:
Growing Cells Faster and Cheaper: Using special coatings and materials, Cellivate’s technology helps cells grow more rapidly. This allows companies producing cultivated products (like lab-grown meat) to do so more efficiently and at a lower cost.
Plant-Based Materials: Cellivate's solutions replace animal-derived substances with plant-based materials, which are not only more ethical but also more environmentally sustainable.
3D Tissue Growth: They specialize in growing complex 3D tissues, which is crucial for creating products like cultivated leather or skincare that mimic real animal skin, but without the need for animals.
Serum-Free Media: Their ProCYTE™ solution allows cells to grow without fetal bovine serum (FBS), a traditional and expensive animal-derived component. This innovation makes the process more sustainable and cost-effective.
These technologies help reduce costs by increasing cell growth by 2 to 5 times and achieving higher yields. This creates an opportunity for various industries to adopt sustainable alternatives.
A clear example of cost savings is that Cellivate offers their microcarrier at 550 SGD per 100ml, which is considerably more affordable compared to similar plant microcarriers, typically priced between 1,200 and 1,500 SGD. 550 SGD is still consider in the high price range for microcarriers
What We like
Focus: Cellivate has shifted its focus to the skincare industry after exploring other sectors like cultivated meat and luxury retail. They currently have a paying customer in skincare industry from which they can quickly learn industry nuances and expand in the field, where companies are willing to pay for cruelty-free and sustainable solutions.
Lean Operation: With a burn rate of 35,000 SGD and a small, agile team of 10-12 people, the company operates efficiently and can scale its operations without excessive overhead.
The Founder: The founder is not only knowledgeable about the complexities of the product but also has the ability to simplify the concept for investors and the general public. He comes across as a highly likable figure with a genuine passion for reducing or eliminating animal husbandry.What we do not like
© Cellivate Technologies
What We Don’t Like:
Regulatory Challenges: The skincare industry is highly regulated, and it may take time for this new technology and its ingredients to gain full acceptance. This could delay market entry and growth.
IP Ownership: Although Cellivate holds three patents, two of them are owned by the National University of Singapore (NUS), limiting the company’s exclusive control over some key technologies.
Lack of a Commercial Team: While they have recently added an investor to lead the business side, there’s uncertainty regarding the focus and strength of their commercial team. Building a strong sales and marketing division will be crucial to scaling their business effectively.
The Basics
Launched: 2019
Founder: Dr. Viknish Krishnan-Kutty
Headquaters: Singapore
Company Size: around 12 people
Money Raised: 4.2 million SGD (3.2 million USD)
Key Investors: Antler, Hatcher+, Venture Catalyst, We Founder Circle, Rigel-Farro Capital