Pacifico Biolabs

The founders' backgrounds are complementary to the company's mission. Zac Austin, a University of Cambridge graduate, previously worked as a strategy consultant at McKinsey in London and served on the British Government's COVID Taskforce before moving into the startup world. He met Washington Logroño, a biotechnology specialist who moved to Europe from Ecuador for his graduate studies, which focus on microbiology and biomethanation. Their combined expertise in business strategy and biotechnology forms the foundation of Pacifico Biolabs' approach. The company's business model centers on developing and eventually commercializing whole-muscle-structure food products created through a proprietary biomass fermentation process. This business-to-business model will likely involve supplying their cultivated biomass to food manufacturers and CPG companies for use in finished products.

The core of Pacifico Biolabs' offering is a technology that utilizes a co-culture of multiple microorganisms, including mycelium (the root structure of mushrooms), to create highly nutritious and versatile biomass. This process is designed to be scalable and cost-effective, with the potential to produce alternatives at a lower cost than the cheapest farmed fish. A distinct feature of their method is the use of side streams from the food industry as feedstock, which addresses food waste while lowering production costs. The initial product focus is on whole-cut white fish filets, aiming to overcome the textural challenges that have hindered consumer adoption of many existing plant-based seafood options. Beyond seafood, the company's long-term vision includes applying its versatile biomass to a range of other meat analogues and even functional food applications.