Umami Bioworks and IKP announce partnership to accelerate research in cultivated seafood at the New IKP Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation in Bengaluru

Bangalore, July 4, 2024: IKP Knowledge Park’s newly launched Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation in Bengaluru announced an incubation collaboration with Umami Bioworks, a Singapore-headquartered Tech-bio platform powering the global production of cultivated seafood. Looking to accelerate Umami Biowork’s scale-up journey, the India team will lead the engineering and validation of their plug-and-play manufacturing hardware, supporting the tech transfer from the demonstration line to customer sites.

Mihir Perhsad, Founder & CEO, Umami Bioworks, said, “We are glad to be partnering with IKP Knowledge Park to establish our presence in India to fuel the next stage of our growth journey. As a growing biomanufacturing powerhouse with strengths in bioreactor engineering, process development, and large-scale production, India is a great location for our engineering and tech transfer teams. IKP brings excellent facilities and knowledge of the local ecosystem, helping enable our launch in India.”

IKP Knowledge Park has recently established its Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation in Bangalore to empower and accelerate the growth of the smart protein sector. The centre in Koramangala will serve as a vibrant hub for researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry stakeholders, promoting core R&D, innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, making it an ideal location for startups developing future foods and materials with cutting-edge technology. The centre is outfitted with cutting-edge equipment, including biosafety cabinets, shaker incubators, freezers, homogenizers, and two ISO7 clean rooms. Its facilities are open 24/7 and can house up to 20 fermentation, plant-based, and cultivated meat/seafood startups.

“We are excited about the novel technology platform that they bring to our community of entrepreneurs and founders in their pursuit of growth in the smart protein sector. This collaboration will not only accelerate Umami’s growth in India but will also propel the smart protein ecosystem that we are building in the country,” adds Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CEO, IKP Knowledge Park.

With the recent acquisition of Shiok Meats, Umami Bioworks has established itself as a leading global biotech company in the seafood category. The urgency for sustainable seafood solutions is underscored by the rapid increase in global seafood demand and the critical status of over 100 commonly consumed fish species. UMAMI Bioworks is committed to innovating in this space, providing consumers with nutritious and culturally relevant seafood alternatives, thereby contributing to the regeneration of marine ecosystems.

“This landmark partnership between Umami Bioworks and IKP’s newly launched centre is a prime example of how India’s booming biotech industry and growing smart protein ecosystem are attracting global players. We are grateful to Umami Bioworks for recognising India’s scientific prowess and talent capabilities in the cultivated meat sector. We are confident that this collaboration will pave the way for further innovation and investment in India, ultimately contributing to a safe, secure, and just future for food.” says Aiyanna Belliappa, Senior Innovation and Entrepreneurship Specialist at the Good Food Institute India, an ecosystem builder for alternative proteins.

Umami Bioworks is among the very select global cellular agriculture companies that have won investment from traditional protein companies like the global seafood leader Maruha Nichiro, headquartered in Japan. Umami is building expertise in seafood cell line biology and genetics powered by an artificial intelligence platform to work on multiple species and applications. With partnerships with leading global food companies to bring products to market at scale, Umami is positioned to be the leading biotech platform in the seafood category.