New Zealand’s first cultivated meat company emerges from stealth mode

Auckland, NZ, November 21, 2022 — Opo Bio, New Zealand’s first cultivated meat company, emerges from stealth mode to announce a $1.5M Seed Round and launch their first research product. Opo Bio is a B2B cultivated meat company, developing cell lines for the cultivated meat industry from high health status New Zealand livestock. Their first product, primary bovine muscle cells (Opo-Moo) is available for researchers around the world to purchase. Opo’s goal is to be the world leading producer of cell lines for cultivated meat production at scale.

Cultivated meat starts with cells and commercial production requires high-quality, high performing cell lines. As a result, many companies are keeping their cell lines tightly sealed, creating barriers to progress within the industry. Opo’s cell lines will be available for companies to licence. They are initially focussing on cell lines that form cow and pig muscle, fat and connective tissue.

Opo’s first product is aimed at researchers working in the field of cultivated meat. Currently, there are very few cultivated meat relevant cell types available for purchase. Many researchers are using mouse cells or having to isolate the cells within their laboratory, which is a resource intensive process. Opo’s primary cow cells are available for researchers to purchase, and hopes these products will accelerate research progress and transparency within the field.

The Company was founded in July 2022, by Dr Olivia Ogilvie, Dr Laura Domigan and Dr Vaughan Feisst based on research developed in Dr Laura Domigan’s lab at University of Auckland. Opo’s Seed round was led by Matū Fund, followed by Booster, The Inventors' Fund, Booster Innovation Fund and Angels.