US-based hybrid cultivated meat start-up SciFi Foods has closed down, according to a report by AgFunderNews.

Founded as Artemys Foods in 2019 the start-up rebranded to SCiFi Foods in 2022. SciFi Foods opened a pilot plant in December last year growing beef cell lines in serum-free media in single cell suspension and in January it announced it had completed its first 500-litre bioreactor run of cell-based beef, in what it claimed was an industry first. It had also been in consultation with the FDA over its regulatory approval path in the US.

Speaking to AgFunderNews about the closure, CEO and co-founder Joshua March, said: “Given challenges in the fundraising market, we’ve appointed an advisory firm to run a sale process. Given the nature of the process, I can’t really say much more beyond this.”

The Cell Base has approached SciFi Foods for comment.