German pharma and biotech company Merck KGaA has made its next gamble in the growing market for lab-grown food. The company’s venture capital arm, M Ventures, recently joined a round of investors who dropped $4.7 million into LegenDairy Foods, which produces cheese from lab-grown milk compounds.
M Ventures first moved into the space last year when it invested in Mosa Meats, which is working to mass produce lab-cultured, “slaughter-free” hamburgers. The move underscored Merck’s desire to expand into the cellular agriculture space, which has attracted growing interest from consumers looking for more sustainable meat and dairy options.
LegenDairy has already created prototypes for lab-created mozzarella and ricotta products. The company said that the new investments will help it make new types of cheeses that show it can produce “real animal products without harming our environment.”
