Cultivated Seafood Pioneer UMAMI Bioworks Sets Foot in India with IKP Partnership – vegconomist
Cultivated seafood startup UMAMI Bioworks, (previously Umami Meats) has announced a partnership with India’s premium Science Park and Incubator, IKP Knowledge Park, to accelerate the production of cultivated seafood.
IKP has recently established the Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation in Bangalore, which facilitates core R&D, innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange for the smart protein sector.
At the centre, UMAMI Bioworks’ team in India will lead the engineering and validation of the company’s plug-and-play manufacturing hardware, supporting tech transfer from their demonstration line to customer sites.
Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CEO of IKP Knowledge Park, welcomed UMAMI Bioworks and expressed excitement about the novel technology platform it brings to the smart protein ecosystem. She shared, “This collaboration will not only accelerate Umami’s growth in India but will also propel the smart protein ecosystem that we are building in the country.”
According to the announcement, the centre boasts advanced equipment, including biosafety cabinets, shaker incubators, freezers, homogenizers, and two ISO7 clean rooms. With ample accessibility and capacity, the facility can support up to 20 startups 24/7.
IKP Knowledge Park has supported over 1500 companies and innovators across India since its establishment in 2000, and as a key partner in UMAMI Bioworks’ scale-up journey, it will support the company’s efforts to develop sustainable seafood solutions for the global market.
Cultivating endangered species
Based in Singapore, UMAMI Bioworks is developing an automated cultivated seafood production platform using stem cell biology, machine learning, and automation to produce cost-effective, cultivated fish free from harmful contaminants.
“IKP brings excellent facilities and knowledge of the local ecosystem, helping enable our launch in India”
With cultivated alternatives, the company aims to provide nutritious, culturally relevant options while addressing the growing global seafood demand and helping to restore the critical status of over 100 commonly consumed fish species, including the Japanese eel.
The Singaporean biotech has received investments from traditional protein companies and collaborates with leading global food companies, including seafood leader Maruha Nichiro from Japan and the US-based food solutions company Ingredion. Moreover, the company has solidified its presence in the seafood category globally with the recent acquisition of Shiok Meats.
Mihir Pershad, founder and CEO of UMAMI Bioworks, commented, “As a growing biomanufacturing powerhouse with strengths in bioreactor engineering, process development, and large-scale production, India is a great location for our engineering and tech transfer teams. IKP brings excellent facilities and knowledge of the local ecosystem, helping enable our launch in India.”
