Aleph Farms is a global leader in the innovative development of cultured meat. The Israel-based company produces cultured steaks that enable new culinary experiences while strengthening sustainability, food security and animal welfare.

Today Aleph Farms announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with The Cultured Hub AG. The Cultured Hub was founded by a consortium of leading Swiss food and biotech companies - including Migros Industrie, Givaudan and Bühler - to provide the necessary infrastructure for the market launch of cultured foods.

With this letter of intent, Aleph Farms reaches an important milestone in its international expansion and creates a European production base in Kemptthal. The company is thus laying the foundations for the local production of the premium line of cultured beef. At the same time, the agreement creates a long-term framework for production in the canton of Zurich with potential for future expansion into other European markets.

"This partnership enables us to optimally implement our global strategy - capital-efficient and deeply anchored in the local market," explained Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms and Managing Director ad interim of Aleph Farms AG. "Migros Industry has been a key strategic partner since 2019. Our collaboration with The Cultured Hub builds on years of joint work to create the regulatory and operational foundations for cultured meat in Switzerland."

In July 2023, Aleph Farms, with the support of Migros Industrie, submitted the first application for approval of cultured beef in Switzerland to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). The letter of intent now concluded with The Cultured Hub marks the next step towards the market launch via corresponding distribution channels - subject to regulatory approval.

Settlement of strategic importance

The establishment of this innovative company is an important step for the region. "I am already looking forward to the many innovations in food tech that Aleph Farms will drive forward in the Canton of Zurich," said Carmen Walker Späh, Member of the Cantonal Government and Head of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Canton of Zurich. "The company strengthens the role of the canton of Zurich as a center of innovation and brings new momentum to Zurich's growing food ecosystem, which includes the Food Hub in Wädenswil and around 11,000 companies throughout the canton. With Aleph Farms, Kemptthal is on the direct path to becoming Switzerland's hub for food innovation. The establishment has strategic value for the canton: "The food industry is a future pillar of a resilient economy."

The Cultured Hub AG is also delighted about the collaboration: "We are convinced that the future of nutrition is based on cross-industry cooperation in order to achieve impact on a large scale," explained Fabio Campanile, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Cultured Hub AG and Head of Science & Technology at Givaudan. "We are confident that by combining Aleph's innovative strength and expertise with our platform, we can provide the necessary infrastructure, services and networks to successfully bring new products to market."

The partnership supports Aleph Farms' goal of decentralizing production and strengthening the resilience of the Swiss meat supply, around 20 percent of which is currently imported.

This announcement follows the recent publication of the first independent techno-economic analysis for cultured beef cuts conducted by Eridia - a joint venture between Bühler and ZETA. This study confirmed that the premium Aleph Cuts product line - including the cultured petit steak - is sustainable and economically scalable. The partnership with The Cultured Hub is the next step in implementing this growth strategy.