Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · 1385 9th St, Berkeley, California, 94710, United States
New Age Meats is a technology company.
New Age Meats develops cultivated meat products, primarily focusing on pork, by growing animal cells in a laboratory setting. The company's technical approach centers on cellular agriculture to create meat that is identical to conventionally produced animal protein without the environmental impact or ethical concerns of traditional livestock farming. This process aims to provide consumers with sustainable and animal-friendly alternatives to their favorite meat products.
The company was founded in 2018 by Brian Spears, who sought to address the environmental challenges of global food production as a self-professed meat eater. His insight was to create a method for sustainable meat production that would not require consumers to compromise on taste or texture, aiming for a future where meat consumption could be decoupled from animal slaughter. Spears initiated the company in Berkeley, California, with a vision for accessible, ethical meat.
New Age Meats targeted consumers interested in sustainable and ethical food choices, offering a way to enjoy meat products with a reduced environmental footprint. The company envisioned a future where its cultivated pork could satisfy global demand for meat while contributing to a more resilient and humane food system. Its long-term vision involved scaling its cellular agriculture technology to make cultivated meat a mainstream and preferred option for feeding the planet.
New Age Meats has raised $30.5M across 5 funding rounds.
New Age Meats has raised $30.5M in total across 5 funding rounds.
New Age Meats has raised $30.5M in total across 5 funding rounds.
New Age Meats's investors include Hanwha Solutions, 305 Ventures, ff Venture Capital, Mayfield, SOSV, Starbridge Venture Capital, TechU Angels, Ning Sung, Siddhi Capital, 8090 Industries, At One Ventures, Goat Capital.
New Age Meats has raised $30.5M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $25.0M Series A in September 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2021 | $25M Series A | Hanwha Solutions | 305 Ventures, FF Venture Capital, Mayfield, SOSV, Starbridge Venture Capital, Techu Angels, Ning Sung, Siddhi Capital | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2020 | $2M Seed | Techu Angels | 305 Ventures, 8090 Industries, AT ONE Ventures, FF Venture Capital, Goat Capital, Mayfield, Path Ventures, SOSV, Starbridge Venture Capital, VU Venture Partners, Ning Sung, Losa Group, Sand Hill Angels, Siddhi Capital, Tech Coast Angels | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2020 | $3M Seed | FF Venture Capital | 305 Ventures, 8090 Industries, AT ONE Ventures, BoxOne Ventures, Goat Capital, Mayfield, Path Ventures, Rebel Fund, SOSV, Starbridge Venture Capital, Techu Angels, VU Venture Partners, Ning Sung, Agronomics, Hemisphere Ventures, Kairos Ventures, Sand Hill Angels, Supernode Ventures | Announced |
| Sep 28, 2018 | $250K Venture Round | — | — | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2018 | $250K Seed | — | 8090 Industries, AT ONE Ventures, Goat Capital, Mayfield, Path Ventures, SOSV, VU Venture Partners | Announced |
New Age Meats was a Berkeley-based food-tech startup developing hybrid cultivated and plant-based pork products, such as sausages, bacon, and pork belly, by growing animal stem cells in bioreactors and combining them with plant proteins.[1][2][3][5] It targeted meat consumers seeking sustainable, humane alternatives to traditional pork, addressing environmental impact, animal welfare, and flavor replication challenges in the alternative protein market.[2][3] The company raised $31.95M total, including a $25M Series A in 2021 led by Hanwha Solutions, to build a pilot facility and scale production, but ceased operations in March 2023 amid industry hurdles like cost reduction and regulation.[2][4]
Founded in 2018 by CEO Brian Spears, a chemical engineer with 12 years in lab and industry automation, New Age Meats emerged from Spears' vision for sustainable meat production using animal cells rather than plant mimics.[2][3][4] The idea gained traction with $7M in seed funding from investors like RXBAR founder Peter Rahal and SOSV’s IndieBio, enabling early R&D on pork sausages as a fast-to-market entry point.[2] A pivotal 2021 Series A doubled the team, funded a 23,000 sq ft pilot plant in Alameda, CA, and supported a rebrand to New Age Eats in 2022, shifting toward consumer branding under CMO Kati Karottki while advancing its Sensomics Platform for sensory-matched products.[1][2]
New Age Meats rode the cultivated meat wave, part of a global push for cell-based proteins amid climate concerns, animal rights awareness, and food tech growth, competing with firms like Believer Meats and BlueNalu.[2][4] Timing aligned with 2021 funding surges and pilot-scale shifts, fueled by investors betting on pork's market potential before beef/chicken.[2][3] It influenced the ecosystem by pioneering hybrids—blending cultivated and plant tech for affordability—and full-stack models, pressuring peers to integrate biology/engineering while highlighting regulatory/pilot plant bottlenecks that slowed the sector.[1][3][4]
New Age Meats shut down in March 2023, likely due to scaling costs, regulatory delays, and market maturation challenges in cultivated meat, as noted in industry tracking.[4] Its legacy persists in hybrid strategies and pork innovations, potentially inspiring B2B pivots like ingredient supply amid recent discussions (e.g., Jan 2025 news).[4] Looking ahead, survivors in this space will shape via cost breakthroughs and approvals, but New Age's trajectory underscores the risks—timing and execution—in futureproofing meat joy through tech.[1][3] This early pioneer's arc ties back to its bold mission: humane, flavorful protein at scale, now a cautionary benchmark for the ecosystem.