Umami Bioworks

In this podcast episode, Mihir Pershad, CEO of UMAMI Bioworks, shares a candid reflection with Paul Essery from Tech Business Connected on the complexity of production science in alternative seafood and how much work remains to be done in this space! Mihir explains how food is such an impactful space to work in and highlights how much food systems are constantly evolving. He also goes on to share more about why he started UMAMI, the challenges he's faced, and what he's learned along the way. To learn more about Mihir's journey and the the mission behind UMAMI Bioworks, listen to the full episode here 🎙: https://lnkd.in/grX85Q_D #AlternativeSeafood #SustainableInnovation #FoodSystems #FutureOfFood

We’re thrilled to announce that UMAMI Bioworks is launching in the UK, and tackling the urgent crisis of overfishing and the depletion of fish stocks head-on! UMAMI is pioneering new ways to produce high-quality seafood without harming our oceans. By leveraging cutting-edge biotechnology, we aim to provide a consistent, affordable supply of seafood that addresses the global seafood crisis while reducing environmental impact. Key Benefits of Cultivated Seafood: ✅ 78% less water usage ✅ 95% less land usage ✅ 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions At UMAMI, we’re not just about food security - we aim to drive biotech innovation and redefine the future of seafood. By partnering with impactful stakeholders, we’ll work to ensure the UK stays at the forefront of sustainable food solutions while safeguarding iconic dishes like fish and chips! 🐟🍟 Check out the full article to see how UMAMI Bioworks is paving the way for a sustainable future for food in the UK and beyond! 🚀 Read more at: https://lnkd.in/eZ8-KF_B

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is taking decisive steps to modernize its regulatory framework, especially regarding the cultivated meat sector. Recently, they introduced reforms aimed at speeding up the novel food approval process. These changes include the creation of a public register for regulated products and a move away from time-consuming secondary legislation. This could reduce approval times from the current 2.5 years, making it easier for companies in the cultivated and alternative protein space to bring their products to market faster. These changes are expected to increase efficiency while maintaining the FSA’s rigorous safety standards —an important balance in fostering consumer trust in cultivated meat. These timely developments are much needed, as the global cultivated meat market is set to expand at a staggering CAGR of 33.3%, with major growth expected by 2034. While the FSA’s measures mark significant progress, there’s growing anticipation for further reforms that are crucial for scaling cultivated meat and securing the UK's place as a leader in a sustainable economy. At UMAMI, we’re following these developments closely and are excited about what this means for the future of sustainable food. Stay tuned—there's more to come! 👀 #CultivatedMeat #FoodSecurity #AlternativeProteins #Innovation #UKFoodStandards Read more at: https://lnkd.in/eWJuy8R4

We are thrilled to welcome Nina Honda to the UMAMI Team as our new Product Manager! 🥳 With a background in bioengineering, Nina has contributed to several cultivated meat research projects focused on mechanobiology and scaffold development, as well as the development of medical devices. She also brings commercial expertise from her time as a strategy consultant, where she fostered innovation and growth for clients across diverse industries, while advancing thought leadership around sustainability. Having grown up in Japan, she’s very excited to be back and looks forward to helping the industry there thrive. Please join us in welcoming Nina! We are so excited to see how she contributes to our growth here at UMAMI 🚀 #Welcome #NewHire #ProductManagement #Strategy #TeamGrowth #Innovation #CultivatedSeafood #WelcomeToTheTeam #MedicalDevices

We’re thrilled to announce a strategic partnership with KCell Biosciences and WSG to advance cultivated seafood production in South Korea. This collaboration combines the expertise of UMAMI Bioworks in seafood cultivation technology, KCell in cost-effective cell culture media, and WSG in bioprocess hardware to bring sustainable seafood solutions to one of the world’s largest seafood markets. With South Korea recently advancing regulatory approvals for cultivated meat, the timing couldn’t be better. Together, we are focused on establishing a scalable and sustainable production pipeline that meets the growing demand for ethical, high-quality, and environmentally conscious protein alternatives. This partnership is a significant step toward revolutionizing the future of food, and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds! 🚀 Stay tuned for more updates as we work towards bringing cultivated seafood to market. 🌍🐟 Read more at https://lnkd.in/eYC7KwWe

We are thrilled to welcome Gayathri Mani to the UMAMI Team as our new Product Manager! 🎉 With a strong foundation in biotechnology, Gayathri has made impactful contributions to R&D efforts in gene therapy and drug discovery. As her career evolved, she seamlessly transitioned into project management, where she combined her scientific expertise with a passion for clear and effective communication. In this role, she focused on making science education more inclusive and accessible, while also honing her skills in product development. At UMAMI, Gayathri is passionate about creating innovative scientific solutions to further food security and sustainability, and we are excited to see the impact of her contributions on our growth and innovation. Please join us in giving Gayathri a warm welcome! 🥳 #Welcome #NewHire #ProductManagement #Biotech #TeamGrowth #Innovation #CultivatedSeafood #WelcomeToTheTeam

The recent announcement by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) to introduce regulated product reforms for cultivated meat in 2025 marks a significant milestone in the future of food production. With these new regulations, the path for cultivated meat to reach consumer plates is becoming clearer, with emphasis on innovation, safety, and transparency. At UMAMI, we’re focused on pushing the boundaries of cultivated seafood, ensuring that our products are not only delicious but also adhere to the highest standards of safety and quality. This development reinforces our commitment to creating sustainable, nutritious, and scalable alternatives to traditional meat. The FSA's move is a testament to the growing recognition that cultivated meat is not just a trend, but a vital part of the future food system—a future where we meet rising protein demands while reducing environmental impact and enhancing food security. We're excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for cultivated meat and proud to be part of a team that's making these innovations a reality. 🌍🍽️ Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dQNaTyht #CultivatedMeat #FutureOfFood #FoodTech #Sustainability #Biotech #Regulation #UmamiBioworks #FoodSecurity

We are thrilled to welcome Shivansh Singhal to the Umami Team as our new Bioinformatics Scientist! 🎉 Shivansh has a background in evolutionary biology, genomics, and human disease genetics and a PhD from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR. As part of his thesis, he developed genomics resources for a pest beetle and investigated how spatially and temporally separated populations differ genetically. He also conducted experiments in the lab to explore how this beetle adapts to new environments and uncover the genomic basis of these adaptations. Shivansh shares our passion for creating sustainable, cultivated seafood solutions, and we’re excited to see how he will contribute to driving innovation here at Umami. Welcome to the team, Shivansh! 🙌 #NewTeamMember #WelcomeToTheTeam #Innovation #Growth #Collaboration #Teamwork #ExcitingTimes #CompanyName #NewHire #EmployeeExperience

Our CEO, Mihir Pershad, recently joined Luigi Di Piazza on The Critical Tech podcast to discuss all things cultivated seafood and biomanufacturing. 🎙️ In this SuperCritical episode, Mihir dives deep into how his team is developing plug-and-play systems to scale up the production of cell-based seafood, offering a sustainable complement to traditional aquaculture. He shares his inspiration from his time in the seafood industry and how Umami Bioworks is tackling the challenges head-on. Key Topics discussed: 🔬 How Umami is using machine learning and modular hardware to revolutionize food production. 🍽️ Umami's mission to partner with food companies and bring these groundbreaking products to market. 🌱 The importance of educating consumers on the benefits of lab-grown foods and aligning incentives with the food industry. If you care about the future of food and sustainability, this conversation is for you! Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/gdyk4uUU

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Friends & Family Pet Food! Umami Bioworks and Friends & Family will launch cultivated fish cat treats in early 2025 and expand to new pet food segments later in 2025. These innovative products are set to transform the pet food industry with high-quality cultivated fish proteins enriched with high-value microalgae and essential nutrients. The environmental impact of pet food is staggering. In the U.S. alone, pet food meat consumption generates approximately 64 million tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to the emissions from 13.6 million cars per year. Estimated 90% of fish used for Pet Food is human grade. With the growing demand for Pet Food globally developing sustainable protein supply is essential and we are proud to be part of this mission. Read more at : https://lnkd.in/g8fhEKYs For those interested in partnerships to support this important initiative please contact us at: partnerships@umamibioworks.com