Called Feeding the Next Billion, XPRISE announced that the two cellular aquaculture startups were among the 28 semi-finalist teams in the $ 15 million contest. Another Fish, Umami Meats, and Cell Ag Tech also produce cell-based fish. They are joined by SeaSpire, Revo Foods, and Kuleana, all of which produce plant-based alternative seafood.

Launched in December 2020, the competition aims to reinvent the way humanity will feed future generations by encouraging the production of structured chicken breast or fish fillet alternatives that mimic or outperform conventional chicken and fish in terms of access, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition and health, as well as taste and texture.

Selected by the competition jury, the 28 semi-finalist teams represent 14 countries and were chosen on the basis of their technical submissions.

Over the next year, the semi-finalists will work closely with the competition’s ecosystem and sponsors, including ASPIRE and The Tony Robbins Foundation, as they begin to develop the first iteration of their products. Up to 10 teams will then be selected, based on the merit of their technical solution prototypes, towards the end of 2022 and will share a $ 2.5 million milestone award. Finalist teams will participate in a final phase of solution development before the final judging, which will award a grand prize team $ 7 million, prizes of $ 2 and $ 1 million respectively, and a bonus prize of $ 2 million. . Winning teams will be required to create at least 25 115 gram structured chicken breast or fish fillet analog cuts that mimic the sensory properties, versatility and nutritional profile of conventional chicken or fish.

“Over the past few years, as our global population continues to grow and the demand for meat products increases, it has become clear that our current global food chain cannot keep up,” said Caroline Kolta, XPRIZE Feed Program Manager. the Next Billion. “We know we need more nutritious, environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to conventional animal products, and that large-scale adoption will require additional innovations continuously brought to market. I am delighted with the international cohort of semi-finalists selected to embark on this journey of innovation and exploration to shape a food future, starting with chicken and fish.

The XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion jury consists of a diverse international group of technology industry experts working at the highest levels of academia and research. The eight judges include:

• Amy C Rowat, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology and Physiology at the University of California, Los Angeles
• Brian Jacobson, Deputy Director of Pilot Plant Operations, University of Illinois, Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL)
• Dan Blaustein-Rejto, Director of Food and Agriculture at the Breakthrough Institute
• Dr Kantha Shelke, Founder and Director of Corvus Blue LLC
• Dr Keith Cox, Co-Founder and Scientific Director of Seafood Analytics, Assistant Professor of Marine Fisheries at the University of Southeast Alaska (UAS)
• Dr Laura Domigan, Biomaterials Scientist, University of Auckland, New Zealand
• Dr Marcos Sanchez-Plata, Associate Professor, Global Food Security – Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University
• Olivia Ogilvie, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cellular Agriculture with a Special Focus on Cultivated Meat – The University of Auckland

XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion comes from Roadmap on the impact of the future of food, an in-depth analysis by XPRIZE of the challenges of the global food system, which found large-scale alternative proteins to be a critical impact area requiring significant technological advancements, lower prices, and noticeable changes in consumer preferences. The competition was then launched with the support of partners including ASPIRE, part of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the technology program management pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) that shapes research and development for transformative technology outcomes and defines Abu Dhabi’s R&D strategy, The Tony Robbins Foundation, The good food institute, Food and Agriculture Foundation, Ward 3, New harvest, and Proveg International. Through the development of alternatives to chicken and fish, the teams competing for the prize will work to ensure that, as the world gets richer, the availability of sustainable food can meet future demand for products. foods that enable the next billion to live active and healthy lives.