Common Bacon, Enabled by Uncommon Research
Balderton and food
Shifting our food habits, and changing production and the supply chain are instrumental towards mitigating one of the largest environmental and health challenges we’re facing. (My colleague Daniel has written more about it here.)
Over the years, Balderton has backed multiple startups addressing problems across the value chain, from Better Origin, helping farms with circularity by turning waste into feed, to Delli, supporting distribution for small-scale food entrepreneurs.
Most recently, we welcomed Uncommon Bio to our portfolio — hoping it will bring us, and future generations, guilt-free bacon in the future. The $30m round was announced earlier this month, led by Balderton and Lowercarbon Capital, with participation from Red Alpine, East Alpha and Apollo (Sam & Max Altman).
There is nothing wrong with meat — it’s how it’s produced
Five years ago I stopped eating meat regularly. Not because I don’t like it, but because of the way it’s produced. Animal welfare concerns, the overuse of antibiotics, and our steady pace towards a climate crisis are, by themselves, all strong reasons to reduce meat consumption. But I know I don’t represent the majority — I’m fortunate to live in London, with a budget and access to unlimited vegetarian options to keep my stomach full and make conscious ethical food choices. And still, I’m finding it hard to stick to a vegetarian diet.
While I think we all wish we could make more thoughtful choices about food, we also need to be presented with better alternatives. The greater the effort, the smaller the number of people willing to make substantial sacrifices to improve the status quo. Tell someone they need to abstain from flying, driving cars, purchasing new clothes, or consuming meat, and shifts in behaviour are often small, and short-lived. For example, where a large group of well-intentioned people tried to switch to plant based products many have now reverted to meat, and plant-based products are struggling with demand, despite low penetration.
In the short term, there are some simple, impactful actions we can and should take. First, we need to be more thoughtful about our meat consumption, and pick quality over quantity. Secondly, we should find ways to waste less. Up to 40%(!) of food in the US is being wasted across the supply chain. (It makes me want to cry. Surely we can do better?) However, given that about 14% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the rearing of livestock, we also need to fundamentally change how the things we consume are produced.
When it comes to food production, we’ve gone full circle. From small-scale (unintentionally) organic practices, to industrial-scale production, and trending back to (now intentionally) organic farming. While organic meat production has clear health, animal wellbeing, and environmental benefits, there isn’t enough land to supply everyone with organic meat, and certainly not in the quantities meat is consumed today.
Now, we believe some of the answers can be found in cultivated meat.
Second generation cultivated meat — merging science with scalability
We’re excited about recent progress in the cultivated meat sector — companies bringing together science and engineering to produce cultivated meat, push for regulatory approval and move the market forwards. The remaining challenges are still cost and scale, which all startups are yet to crack despite regulatory approvals and celebrity endorsements.
Therefore a company that can bring together the most important pieces — consumer- and regulatory-accepted methodology, combined with low cost at scale — will have the greatest potential to build a large and impactful company in this market.
We think that company is Uncommon, whose application of mRNA technology is unique in the sector.
It’s funny to think how the goal of re-creating a very undifferentiated product will come from a very differentiated technology.
Uncommon’s adoption of mRNA technology for cultivated meat offers several advantages over other approaches. Through their ability to target muscle and fat regulators directly, and deliver the RNA molecules, they are reducing the quantity of raw materials needed. Thanks to the recent pandemic, costs of these methodologies have improved, and application and scalability have drastically accelerated, opening up application in sectors other than pharma.
Uncommon Technology
The mRNA technology allows for more precise and targeted communication with cells. By utilising mRNA, Uncommon can deliver specific instructions to cells, guiding them to form desired tissues like muscle or fat. This level of control enhances the efficiency and accuracy of tissue development.
Compared to other methods such as growth factors and small molecules, mRNA technology offers a faster and more streamlined process. The use of growth factors and small molecules often requires weeks for cell differentiation, whereas mRNA can accelerate this process, saving valuable time in meat production.
Additionally, the use of mRNA technology minimises potential safety concerns. Unlike certain small molecules, which can be toxic and pose risks to consumer health, mRNA is a naturally occurring molecule in cells and is generally well-tolerated. This reduces the complexity involved in removing potentially harmful substances from the final product.
Moreover, from a regulatory perspective, mRNA technology may offer greater acceptance and ease of approval. The technology has the potential to be more widely accepted and aligned with existing regulatory frameworks than, for example, gene editing, making it a favourable option for expanding market reach.
Overall, Uncommon’s adoption of mRNA technology brings precision, efficiency, safety, and regulatory advantages to their cultivated meat production.
The team to do it
We are excited to welcome this innovative and ambitious, all female founding team — Benjamina Bollag, co-founder & CEO, and Dr. Ruth Faram, co-founder & CSO to the Balderton collective. Ruth is a research powerhouse. A PhD and postdoc from Oxford, with 5 filed patents, and an expert of 20+ years in cultured cells, focused on iPSCs, epigenetics, and intracellular signalling pathways. Benjamina is a chemical engineer from Imperial College with a drive, mind and ambition in their own league. Together, Ruth and Benjamina have already reached vital technological and scientific milestones. Both the bacon and the pork belly taste and look incredible, and we can’t wait for everyone to try them.
