Meatly has secured UK£10.4 million in Series A funding to support the construction of a 20,000-litre bioreactor facility, which the company says will become Europe’s largest cultivated meat production plant.
Backed by new European venture funds alongside existing investors, the London-based company plans to focus initially on the pet food sector as it works to scale production, improve cost efficiency and demonstrate operational reliability while regulations for human food remain more restrictive.
The latest investment round increases Meatly’s total funding to UK£17.4 million, including the company’s earlier UK£7 million seed round. According to the company, investor demand exceeded the original fundraising target, reflecting confidence in its technical progress and commercialisation strategy.
Founded in 2022 by Owen Ensor and Dr Helder Cruz, Meatly produces chicken meat from animal cells without slaughter. The company became the first in Europe to receive regulatory approval for cultivated meat in 2024 and later launched a cultivated pet food product.
The company said its focus on pet food provides a more accessible commercial route, with fewer regulatory barriers and a clearer consumer proposition compared with the human food market. Meatly aims to use the sector as a foundation for demonstrating commercial demand, scalability and production economics before expanding further into other markets.
