Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats have announced plans to merge in order to move closer to commercialization in the food and beverage industry. Mihir Pershad, CEO of Umami Bioworks, mentioned that the merger was a natural fit due to their shared mission of working on hard-to-find and scale endangered species.
Both companies are based in Singapore, with Umami focusing on cultivated eel, groupers, and halibut, while Shiok is developing cell-based crustaceans like crabs and lobsters. Once the merger is finalized, the companies plan to work on bringing crustacean products to market and streamlining data collection processes to facilitate regulatory approval.
Pershad also mentioned the possibility of building a new facility to support the alliance, with plans to submit a dossier for regulatory approval for cultivated eel in several countries. The companies are targeting Singapore as their first market, with plans to expand to other countries in the future.
Umami aims to have their cultivated eel product on the market by early 2025 and intends to partner with food manufacturers to reach consumers. They are also working on developing a pilot line in Malaysia to produce lab-grown seafood, with a target of 3,000 tonnes per year starting from 2026.
Partnerships with companies like Maruha Nichiro in Japan, as well as those in North America, are expected to benefit from Umami and Shiok’s business model. The companies are focused on innovating and bringing sustainable seafood options to consumers globally.