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Orf Genetics, a plant biotechnology company based in Iceland, has successfully raised $5 million in funding, with expectations to increase this amount to $7 million as the funding round remains open until mid-October. This financial boost is aimed at expanding their mesokine growth factor portfolio, a crucial step for supporting the burgeoning cultivated meat industry as it transitions from research to large-scale commercial production.

The company has ambitious plans to scale up mesokine production capacity fourteenfold by 2027 and to achieve a staggering ten-thousandfold increase by 2032. This strategic move is designed to meet the rising demand from cultivated meat producers, who are increasingly seeking innovative solutions for sustainable food production.

Orf Genetics utilizes a unique method involving bioengineered barley, providing a sustainable, safe, and cost-effective means of producing these vital proteins. With 17 years of expertise in growth factor manufacturing, the company has developed a robust expression system known as Orfeus, which leverages barley grain to produce recombinant proteins, particularly effective for growth factors and cytokines.

Led by Berglind R. N. Láfsdóttir, Orf Genetics is committed to advancing genetic science through efficient and safe production methods. Their portfolio includes human growth factors tailored for stem cell research and a successful skincare line, Bioeffect, which features a plant-based variant of epidermal growth factor (EGF) that is endotoxin-free.

The latest addition to their offerings, mesokine, launched in 2020, focuses on animal growth factors specifically designed for the cellular agriculture market, with a strong emphasis on meat production from stem cells. The barley used in their production process is cultivated in an eco-friendly greenhouse situated in an Icelandic lava field, harnessing renewable geothermal energy to further enhance their commitment to sustainability.