Uncommon

Uncommon, formerly Higher Steaks, is a biotechnology company focused on producing cultivated pork meat. Founded in Cambridge, UK, in 2017 by chemical engineer Benjamina Bollag and Dr. Ruth Faram, the company aims to provide a sustainable and ethical alternative to conventional meat production. Bollag, serving as CEO, leads the company's mission to address global health and food security challenges.

The company leverages a patent-pending RNA technology to create cultivated bacon and pork belly from a small sample of pig cells. This approach reprograms the cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can then be differentiated into muscle and fat. Uncommon states this method enables it to reach price parity with conventional pork more quickly, scale faster, and create products without gene editing, antibiotics, or toxic small molecules. The technology is based on Nobel Prize-winning findings and is designed to accelerate the cell differentiation process and lower production costs.

Uncommon operates on a business-to-business model, with plans to commercialize its products through partnerships with food distributors and retailers. The company has raised significant capital to scale production at its pilot manufacturing facility in Cambridge and to pursue regulatory approval in markets such as the UK, Singapore, and the US. As of June 2023, the company had secured $30 million in a Series A funding round led by Balderton Capital and Lowercarbon Capital, bringing its total funding to approximately $35 million.

Keywords: cultivated meat, cellular agriculture, RNA technology, food technology, pork alternative, sustainable protein, lab-grown meat, Benjamina Bollag, pluripotent stem cells, cell-based meat, food security, biotechnology, ethical meat, antibiotic-free, non-GMO, cultured bacon, Cambridge, Balderton Capital, Lowercarbon Capital, food production