German biotech company Innocent Meat has secured €6 million in a recent fundraising round to further develop and scale its cultivated protein system. The funds will be used for a demonstration facility and regulatory preparation, with plans to enter the market in 2028. Co-founded by CEO Laura Gertenbach nearly eight years ago, Innocent Meat aims to break the reliance on animal agriculture with an automated cultured meat production system.

The fundraising round included backing from GENIUS Venture Capital, the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the EU’s European Regional Development Fund. Innocent Meat's system utilizes AI to achieve significant output with minimal resources, with the capacity to produce one tonne of cultivated pork per week in a small space. By eliminating the need for pig farming, Innocent Meat's technology not only saves lives but also reduces the environmental impact of traditional livestock farming methods on the climate and resources.