source:giphy

New To The Scene: Cellular agriculture company, Cellibre closed its first funding round for an undisclosed amount. Investors include Cresco Capital Partners, Flatiron Venture Partners and Delta Emerald Ventures. http://cellbased.link/k25



The Cellibre Story is unique. The company’s initial focus will be on cannabinoid biosynthesis AKA producing cannabinoid molecules such as CBD to THC by isolating cells rather than extracting from the cannabis plant itself.

What Else? Many of the other players in the cannabinoid biosynthesis space are using yeast, e. coli, or algae to reproduce the DNA code. Cellibre “focuses on nontraditional organisms” says company CEO Ben Chiarelli, and these organisms will be more efficient in the production of the specified cell type. The exact organisms that Cellibre will be using are undisclosed, but the approach is said to be novel and protectable.

Bottom Line: In an interview with New Cannabis Ventures, Chiarelli states that isolating, extracting, and processing CBD from the plant costs $1K to $2K per kilogram. Biosynthesis pricing will fall below this and provide a more efficient solution for isolating specific molecules that can be useful in medicinal applications as well as for CBD and THC infused products like beer or ice cream.

Investments

Paris-London based venture firm, Future Positive Capital, closed $57.1 million funding round for an investment fund focused in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, synthetic biology and genetics. http://cellbased.link/w2g

Why We Care: Future Positive Capital has already invested in cell based meat company, Meatable, a company addressing many of the common challenges associated with cell based meat production using a proprietary stem cell technology. http://cellbased.link/u01

Publicity

Former CEO of BP, John Browne, published a book entitled, ‘Make, Think, Imagine’ and positions engineering at the center of the next phase of progress.

Here is an excerpt: “Biology is becoming an established part of engineering and, if this rapid progress continues and synthetic biology succeeds in unraveling the complexity of cellular metabolism, the implications could be profound.” http://cellbased.link/kmb

🥳 Next Weekend

Plant Based World Conference & Expo, June 7-8 @ Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City. http://cellbased.link/welcome-plant-95287

Here is what to look forward to: