- UPSIDE Foods is building a new commercial-scale facility called Rubicon in Glenview, Illinois.
- The 187,000-square-foot factory will have the capacity to produce millions of pounds of cultivated meat, with potential expansion plans to reach 30 million pounds in the future.
- The facility will house large cultivators with capacities of up to 100,000 litres, aiming to transform traditional meat production through innovation and technology.
U.S. cultivated meat company, UPSIDE Foods, announces new commercial-scale facility, Rubicon. The 187,000-square-foot factory will be located in Glenview, Illinois, with a capacity of millions of pounds, and the prospect of expanding up to 30 million in the future.
UPSIDE Foods takes animal cells to cultivate healthy and safe meat for consumption. This is done by placing these cells in a cultivator and feeding them nutrients rich in sugar, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Rubicon will begin producing ground-cultivated chicken products, with plans to diversify to other types of meat in the future.
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The facility will be equipped to accommodate cultivators with capacities of up to 100,000 litres. The new plant is set to transform traditional meat production systems and the culinary outlook through innovation and technology. The new facility, upon extensive research and findings, is positioned to become a pioneer in large-scale cultivated meat production.
This facility comes on the back of many successes, including the acquisition of Wisconsin-based cultivated seafood company, Cultured Decadence in 2021, the completion of the first U.S. consumer sale of cultivated meat, expanding their portfolio to encompass ground-cultivated meat products, and securing a $400M Series C funding.
UPSIDE Foods also appreciated the support of the Illinois State governor, JB Pritzker, who has shown interest and praised their accomplishment as the first cell-cultivated meat company to sell in the US. The governor also pointed out that the factory is in line with the state’s, and by extension, the country’s goals to foster sustainability and clean energy. CEO and founder, Dr. Uma Valeti, also expressed excitement over the state’s role in this accomplishment.
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Watch the video of the new facility here.
