Bene Meat Technologies a.s. (BeneMeat)[1] is a Czech biotechnology start-up focused on research and development of technology for the production of cultivated meat on an industrial scale. Rather than positioning itself as a producer of cultivated meat, the company acts as a technology partner, providing manufacturers with a complete technological ecosystem from cell line development and culture media, through bioprocess optimization, to scalable production. As part of its collaborations, BeneMeat also shares expert knowledge, including regulatory know-how, to help partners bring their products to market more efficiently.[2][3]
It cooperates with scientific institutions and companies in the Czech Republic and abroad.[4] The company is headquartered in Prague, occupying several floors of the Cube office building in the Vokovice district.[5]
History
Bene Meat Technologies a.s. was founded in 2020 by Mgr. Roman Kříž, who is the project leader. The main biologist of the scientific team is Jiří Janoušek [4] and one of the external scientists involved in the ongoing research is the immunologist Prof. RNDr. Jan Černý, Ph.D. In 2022, the BMT research team consisted of 70 scientists[6][7] By 2025, the team had grown to include more than 100 members.[8]
In 2024, the company received the Industrie Award as part of the Česká hlava project, in recognition of its innovative research and technology in cultivated meat.[9] In 2025, the company was included in the prestigious FoodTech 500 ranking, which recognizes the world’s most innovative companies in the food and agri-tech sectors.[10]
Research objective
Developing a technology to produce cultured meat by propagating animal cells without using fetal bovine serum, ideally with growth factors from their own production. BeneMeat claims that their final technology will allow its operators to produce and offer the product at prices affordable to consumers.[11]
In March 2023, the company said that the first cultured meat product launched on the market may not be fit for human consumption, but would be for pet food.[11] However, BeneMeat states that the creation of meat meant for human consumption is one of their goals.[12]
Progress
BeneMeat is the first company registered in European Feed Materials Register [13] for the production and sale of laboratory-grown meat for pet food; specifically cat and dog food.[14][12] BeneMeat claims to be the only entity in the world that can produce and sell this product for the pet food market.[15] By 2024, BeneMeat plans to make several metric tons per day of laboratory-grown meat meant for pet food.[12]
In 2024, with the aim of demonstrating the sustainability of its cultivated meat process, BeneMeat commissioned a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of its production system. The results confirmed a significant reduction in land use and lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional meat production.[16]
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