Kópavogur-based ORF Genetics, a pioneer in plant biotechnology, has raised €5M to expand production of its MESOkine growth-factor portfolio for the fast-emerging cultivated meat sector.
The round remains open until mid-October and is expected to close at €7M with additional investors.
Scaling for cellular agriculture
As cultivated meat moves from lab research to commercial scale, ORF Genetics plans a 14x production increase by 2027, with a long-term goal of a 10,000-fold scale-up by 2032. MESOkine, launched in 2020, provides animal growth factors derived from bioengineered barley, designed to replace expensive and less sustainable conventional inputs.
CEO Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir said:
“Producing growth factors in bioengineered barley offers a sustainable, safe, and highly cost-effective pathway. With 17 years of manufacturing expertise, we’re positioned to become a key enabler of cellular agriculture’s commercial rollout.”
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A biotech rooted in barley
Founded in 2001, ORF Genetics built its Orfeus expression system, which uses barley grains grown in geothermal-powered greenhouses on Icelandic lava fields to produce recombinant proteins.
- Its portfolio spans human growth factors for stem cell research, animal factors for cellular agriculture, and BIOEFFECT, a plant-based EGF skincare brand launched in 2010 and now stocked in Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman.
- MESOkine represents its newest frontier, supplying cost-efficient, endotoxin-free animal growth factors for cultivated meat producers.
Why it matters
Growth factors are one of cultivated meat’s biggest cost drivers. By scaling MESOkine, ORF Genetics aims to slash input costs and accelerate adoption, potentially transforming how protein is produced globally.
