Fork & Goode

About Fork & Goode

Fork & Goode, legally recognized as Fork & Good, is a company operating at the forefront of the cultivated meat sector, focusing on developing sustainable and ethically produced animal proteins. The company was founded in 2018 by CEO Niya Gupta and Chief Scientific Officer Gabor Forgacs. Fork & Goode was spun out of Modern Meadow, the first cultivated animal product company, which has since shifted its focus to materials like leather.

The founders' backgrounds are deeply rooted in synergistic fields. Niya Gupta brings over a decade of experience in the food and agriculture industries, including roles at McKinsey and Syngenta. She also co-founded and served as CEO of Comcrop, a vertical farming startup in Singapore, which provided her with insights into yield optimization that she now applies to cultivated meat. Gabor Forgacs is a pioneering biophysicist with a 30-year academic career and is the scientific founder of two other ventures, Organovo and Modern Meadow. The collaboration between Gupta's farming-inspired approach to efficiency and Forgacs's scientific expertise in bioprinting and cell cultivation forms the company's foundation.

Fork & Goode's business model is centered on a B2B approach, supplying cultivated meat as an ingredient to food manufacturers and retailers. The company has already secured joint development agreements and is in discussions with numerous clients to incorporate its cultivated pork into products like ham and meat snacks. This strategy allows for a gradual market introduction through familiar consumer products. The company's initial focus is on the $820 billion global pork market, aiming to provide a stable alternative to an industry facing challenges like viral diseases and resource scarcity.

The core of Fork & Goode's operations is its patented bioprocessing technology, which distinguishes it from competitors. Instead of using stem cells, the company cultivates muscle cells directly, a simpler and more cost-effective method. Their proprietary bioreactors and a process likened to a "hydroponic system for meat" enable higher production density and yield without the use of scaffolds. This integrated cell manufacturing (ICM) platform is designed to significantly reduce the cost of production, with a target price of $2 per pound to match commodity pork. The company operates a pilot facility in Jersey City, New Jersey, capable of producing significantly more meat per square foot than traditional farming. In January 2024, Fork & Goode conducted its first public tasting event in Davos, Switzerland, featuring a hybrid product blending 30% cultivated pork with 70% conventional pork.

Financially, Fork & Goode has successfully raised capital to fuel its research and expansion. The company has attracted a total of $30 million from investors, including a $22 million round that led to the opening of its pilot facility. Key investors include True Ventures, Leaps by Bayer, Collab Fund, and Starlight Ventures. The company has already begun generating revenue through a joint development agreement with a major global food manufacturer. Fork & Goode is currently navigating the regulatory approval process with the FDA and USDA, anticipating a potential market launch in 2026.