Meat-Tech Agrees to Acquire Cultured Fat Pioneer 'Peace of Meat'

NESS ZIONA, Israel, Dec. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Meat-Tech 3D Ltd. (TASE: MEAT), today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Peace of Meat PV, a pioneering Belgian producer of cultured avian products, for EUR 15 million in a combination of cash and Meat-Tech ordinary shares. The Company believes that it will be able to leverage Peace of Meat's technologies, including through novel hybrid food products, to expedite market entry while Meat-Tech develops an industrial process for cultivating and producing real meat using 3D bioprinting technology, without harming animals. The acquisition is expected to close in the coming weeks, subject to customary closing conditions.

Peace of Meat has developed a proprietary, stem-cell-based bioreactor technology for cultivating animal fats from chicken and ducks, without harming animals. It has conducted a number of taste tests, demonstrating the potential that its cultured fat has to enhance the taste of plant-based protein products. The technology's first expected application is in hybrid food products, combining plant-based protein with cultured animal fat, designed to provide meat analogues with qualities of "meatiness" (taste and texture) closer to that of conventional meat products. Meat-Tech estimates that the first hybrid products based on Peace of Meat technology could hit the market as early as 2022.

Pursuant to the acquisition agreement, Meat-Tech will pay half of the consideration immediately, with the payment of the balance subject to Peace of Meat complying with preset technological milestones over a period of two years, that were designed to scale up cultured fat production capabilities in preparation for market entry. To that end, it was agreed that Peace of Meat's management will continue in place to lead the development process.

This acquisition is consistent with Meat-Tech's growth strategy, aiming to streamline development processes and expand the Company's product range to penetrate cultured meat technology markets as quickly as possible. Meat-Tech is working to create synergy and added value for food manufacturers in the advanced production of cultured meat, while sustaining animal welfare and meeting the growing global demand for meat.

Sharon Fima, Meat-Tech's CEO: "Meat-Tech's novel technology for producing meat using 3D printing is gaining increasing international recognition. Boosted by our acquisition strategy, we believe we can turn Meat-Tech into a leading global center and home for innovative and groundbreaking cell-based food solutions that are both healthy and environmentally friendly. The combination of Peace of Meat's human capital and technology make this acquisition a significant step in that direction. I am pleased that both management teams share a common vision and strategy, and can join forces to advance the development of cultured food products with the potential to create real alternatives in the global meat market."

David Brandes and Dirk von Heinrichshorst, Co-Founders of Peace of Meat: "In an industry that is working towards a kinder, more sustainable planet, joining forces makes us stronger together. Peace of Meat has developed a powerful system for upscaled cultured biomass production and together with Meat-Tech we intend to accelerate product development toward commercialization.

"While Peace of Meat's core activity remains focused on the production of tasty, cultured fat as a B2B ingredient for meat alternatives, we see tremendous opportunity in jointly building a leading food-tech enterprise with Meat-Tech, based on a cellular platform.

"As entrepreneurs, we are excited about this acquisition as it poses a novel way of building and growing a company while significantly increasing the prospects of launching our product into the market."

About Peace of Meat:

Peace of Meat was established in Belgium in 2019 and is developing cultured chicken fat directly from animal cells without the need to grow or kill animals. The company believes that its innovative technology has the potential to support an industrial process for the production of cultured chicken fat. Peace Of Meat has entered into a number of scientific and commercial collaborations, in the process of positioning itself as a future B2B provider, with the potential to cover the entire value chain and to accelerate research and production processes in the industry, and has conducted taste tests for hybrid products it has developed.

About Meat-Tech:

Meat-Tech is developing a novel biological printing process designed to create living, edible meat tissue using cellular agriculture. Meat-Tech is developing technologies, processes and machines for cultivating, producing, and printing cultured meat. The company believes that it was the first in the world to use edible biological inks to 3D-print living tissue made up of various cells of bovine origin. The Company has the technology, knowledge and experience in applying tissue engineering practices for producing fat and muscle tissue for food consumption, as well as the ability to print, using a 3D bioprinter, a combination of live animal cells, growth factors and biological materials to produce living tissues that mimic the characteristics of natural tissue.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company's development of the next generation of cultured meat food products by leveraging 3D digital printing technology, Peace of Meat's development of cultured fat products, the expected closing of the Company's acquisition of Peace of Meat and the expected post-closing synergies of the combined companies. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "expect," "predict," "potential," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on information the Company has when those statements are made or management's current expectation and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform these statements.

COMPANY / INVESTOR CONTACT:
Eran Gabay, Partner, Director of Strategy
Gelbart-Kahana Investor Relations: [email protected]

SOURCE Meat-Tech 3D Ltd.