Growing oysters in a lab, no dredging required. That's the mission of Pearlita Foods, a Raleigh-based startup armed with capital from Sustainable Food Ventures and Big Idea Ventures' New Protein Fund.
CEO Nikita Michelsen, whose background is in information technology, said the initial focus will be on mollusks. And she is in the process of moving to Raleigh from San Diego to get started.
The idea came about in October. Michelsen and her co-founder, marine biologist Joey Peters, were both already interested in the cell-based meat space. While in graduate school, Peters researched how contaminates impacted the physiology of mollusks. Specifically, his research surrounded pharmaceuticals such as Prozac.
“We don’t realize as we put our waste out in the ocean it starts to accumulate in the tissues of things,” he said.
Drugs get into the water supply and make it into the ocean. From there, they actually end up in edible mollusks, Peters said.
But what if you could “grow seafood tissue” outside of the ocean – avoiding those contaminates entirely.
Michelsen, who was more interested in the business side of things, said the possibility was intriguing. And investors bought in. So far, the company has raised about $250,000, she said, crediting both the science and the profit potential.
The science is complex. Peters explains it as taking cells, isolating them and getting them to divide. But in terms of product, Pearlita is starting simple – flavor first. Michelsen said the first product will be an oyster sauce. But it will still be a years-long challenge, getting the flavor just right. Someday, the company could figure out how to get the texture and shape right – potentially serving actual lab-grown oysters.
The company launched in January and will soon have three people on the team. The idea will require capital. The plan is to raise more funds by the end of the summer.
Michelsen said she considered keeping the firm in California – specifically San Diego – but the Triangle emerged as an easy first choice.
“It’s the fastest-growing biotech hub, especially around future food,” she said.
The firm is in the process of setting up its lab, to be located next to Jellatech, a startup that recently raised $2 million to get its vegan gelatin and collagen product off the ground. Jellatech CEO Stephanie Michelsen is Nikita Michelsen’s sister.
