The country has also been recognised as a place where startups in the food industry are able to gain access to MNCs and world-class research facilities. Moreover, Singapore is also seen as an ideal location for testing alternative products in the market due to the high level of education of the general public as well as a growing awareness of the importance of sustainable food consumption choices.
Another recent development within the sector: On June 10th, Eat Just’s Good MEAT hosted the grand opening of the largest cultivated meat production facility in Asia. Several new and exciting developments are taking shape in Singapore’s alt protein industry and in this article, we will be highlighting 3 Singaporean companies: Shiok Meats, Pullulo and Karana, who are taking novel steps in this sector.
Shiok Meats
Shiok Meats is the first cell-based meat company in South East Asia, they are using cellular technology to sustainably produce seafood such as shrimp, prawn, crab and lobster.
Despite the remarkable pace of progress made in the past few years, Dr Sandhya Sriram, the Founder and CEO of Shiok Meats states, “We were the first cultivated seafood company in Southeast Asia, so we did face a lot of backlash. The biggest challenge we have moving forward is getting our price down and we are looking to figure out how to produce multiple tons of our product every day and I’m looking forward to that happening in the next couple of years”.
Shiok Meats continues to overcome the challenges they face each day and is set to launch their first product in the consumer market in 2023.
Pullulo
Another company to look for is Pullulo. They are a fermentation-enabled protein ingredient company developing microbial protein for various food applications.
Their innovative protein is highly nutritious yet affordable, allergen-free, non-GMO, vegan, and Halal and is less susceptible to supply chain disruptions. Many of their products also integrate agricultural by-products, upcycling our waste in the process.
Pullulo is targeting both the alternative protein mass market and the underserved healthcare catering and food services. Their work will be especially beneficial for countries like Singapore which have aging populations and you can find out more about them in this short film.
Karana
Karana, dubbed the ‘Asian food brand of the future’, is a plant-based alternative company, creating innovative alternative protein products with meat-like textures using a variety of biodiverse ingredients with an emphasis on jackfruit.
They have rapidly grown since being founded in 2018 and have launched their delicious products in multiple restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong and USA. Keep an eye for their new products and expansion plans!
As a VC fund, Big Idea Ventures (BIV), continues to strive to support the next generation of alternative protein startups through direct investments and our accelerator programs.
“Big Idea Ventures is excited about the future of food in Singapore. As the first fund and accelerator focused on alternative protein offering dedicated support and mentorship. Singapore gets stronger every day as the food innovation hub for Asia and the rest of world. If you are a founder of a plant based, cell based, or fermentation-enabled company, there has never been a better time to be starting and growing a food company in Singapore. Join our Big Idea Food Competition coming up later this year. Let’s work together!” said Andrew D. Ive, Founder and Managing General Partner of Big Idea Ventures.
