Global fisheries are in crisis. A total of 94% of fish species are fished up to or beyond their ecological limits, and a 70-million-ton seafood shortfall is projected by 2050. Fish oil prices have doubled since 2020, with global fish oil supply capped at roughly 1.2 million tonnes per year. The fish that does reach the supply chain carries increasing levels of microplastics, heavy metals and antibiotics. Multiple industries depend on this strained fish supply chain. Human food relies on seafood as the primary protein source for 3+ billion people globally. The pet food industry ($123.6B and growing at 6.2% CAGR) consumes millions of tonnes of fish-derived ingredients annually, with 90% of fish used in pet food being human-grade quality. The marine bioactives sector ($10.9B) depends on wild-caught marine organisms for ingredients used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
Umami Bioworks produces cultivated fish biomass that serves all three industries. We grow fish cells in controlled bioreactor environments using our proprietary CellForge™ platform, producing biomass that is naturally rich in proteins, and completely free from mercury, microplastics and antibiotics. Our CellForge™ platform delivers cultivated fish biomass that is free from heavy metals, impurities and environmental toxins, while ensuring a consistent, high-quality product through controlled, reproducible processes. It enables year-round, season-independent production and is locally scalable, with labs that can be set up and franchised anywhere. The system is fully clean and traceable. As a species-agnostic platform, the same core infrastructure can cultivate multiple fish species, producing biomass for human food, pet nutrition and marine bioactives from a single, efficient production process. By decoupling these industries from wild fishing, we protect ocean ecosystems while delivering a cleaner, safer and fully traceable ingredient supply.