Joes Future Food

About Joes Future Food

Joe's Future Food, legally known as Joes Future Food Technology Co., Ltd., is a pioneering force in China's cultivated meat sector. The company was officially established in December 2019 as a spin-off from Nanjing Agricultural University, following a decade of foundational research that began in 2009. The pivotal moment leading to its incorporation was in November 2019, when the research team, led by Professor Zhou Guanghong, successfully created China's first cultivated pork.

The company's leadership team possesses deep expertise in food science and cellular agriculture. Professor Zhou Guanghong, the Chief Scientist, is a distinguished figure in China's meat processing field and a former president of Nanjing Agricultural University. The co-founder and CEO, Dr. Ding Shijie, holds the distinction of being the world's first PhD in the field of cultivated meat, having studied under Professor Mark Post, widely known as the “Father of cultured meat,” at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. His academic journey combines meat science, cell biology, and tissue engineering, providing a robust scientific foundation for the company's operations.

Joe's Future Food focuses on developing and industrializing cultured meat technology, producing real meat by cultivating animal cells instead of slaughtering animals. The company's primary product is cultivated pork, targeting China's substantial pork consumption market. They have showcased various products, including minced pork, the country's first cultivated pork belly, and pigskin noodles. The business operates on a B2B model, aiming to supply its products as ingredients for food companies and eventually offer them directly to consumers. Key technological advancements include the development of a serum-free cell culture media, which is critical for reducing production costs, and scaling up production using bioreactors. The company has successfully scaled from producing 5 grams of meat in 20 days to 50 grams in the same timeframe and has conducted pilot tests in 500-liter bioreactors.

Financially, Joe's Future Food has attracted significant venture capital. It secured a 20 million yuan (approximately $3 million USD) angel investment from Matrix Partners China in December 2020. This was followed by a Series A round in October 2021, raising a total of 70 million yuan ($10.9 million USD) from investors including Hillhouse Capital and Crystal Stream Capital. The company completed a Series A+ funding round in April 2023, with the goal of establishing a pilot plant to make its products market-competitive by 2025.