[Disclosure: AgFunderNews’ parent company AgFunder is an investor in IntegriCulture]

IntegriCulture: Pioneering Cellular Agriculture in Japan

IntegriCulture, a Japanese startup focused on supporting the cellular agriculture sector, has reported a profit for the fiscal year ending September 2025. This achievement comes as the company continues to innovate cost-effective tools for cultivated meat, while also diversifying its offerings across various industries to ensure financial stability.

Diversifying Revenue Streams

According to co-founder and CEO Yuki Hanyu, “Startup activity in cell ag isn’t big in Japan yet.” Consequently, IntegriCulture is financing itself through two primary avenues: revenues from non-food applications, primarily in cosmetics, and providing materials and services to startups and businesses in the non-food sector.

“While we explore the cultivated meat arena, our focus remains on collaborative approaches that prioritize building efficient tools prior to large-scale implementation,” Hanyu notes.

Comprehensive Infrastructure for Cellular Agriculture

IntegriCulture’s strategy embraces a holistic approach, developing multiple components supporting cellular agriculture, including cell culture media, scaffolds, and low-cost laboratory hardware. “We’re evolving from a supplier-CRO (Contract Research Organization) to a CRDMO (Contract Research, Development & Manufacturing Organization),” Hanyu explains.

With a recorded profit of JPY 40 million ($255k) for the October 2024 to September 2025 period, the outlook for the ongoing fiscal year (FY25) appears positive across all business segments.

Engineering for Efficient Scaling

When discussing bioprocess development, Hanyu emphasizes a cautious approach to scaling. “We intend to validate technologies on a smaller scale before investing heavily in full-scale operations,” he states. This idea mirrors the energy sector’s shift from traditional nuclear plants to modular, distributed systems.

IntegriCulture is sidestepping the conventional large stirred-tank bioreactor model, focusing instead on more compact solutions like cell-ag grade packed beds. Their development is supported by Japan’s SBIR program for scale-up and collaborations with Sumitomo Riko for scale-out projects.

Innovations in Cell Culture Media

IntegriCulture’s flagship innovation is the CulNet system, designed to streamline the production of cell-culture media. By utilizing interconnected chambers of organ cells that secrete essential growth factors and metabolites, CulNet reduces the need for costly purification processes traditionally associated with microbial fermentation.

This method not only circumvents regulatory challenges but also generates a stable, serum-like conditioned medium continuously, making it a game-changer in cultivated meat production.

Exploring New Frontiers: Cell-Ag Cosmetics

On the cosmetics front, IntegriCulture has launched Cellament, a nutrient-rich medium derived from early-stage avian cells. This innovative product has garnered attention from various companies across the beauty industry, particularly in K-beauty.

“Our competitors include stem cell serums and animal placenta extracts,” Hanyu explains, “but Cellament offers comparable benefits and is produced in a pathogen-free environment, providing a safer alternative.” The goal is to create a distinct category of ‘Cell-Ag Cosmetics’ to effectively market these new products.

Navigating Regulations in Japan

IntegriCulture actively collaborates with the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA) to shape regulatory frameworks for cultivated meat. Although there have been delays in the anticipated guidelines, cellular agriculture is regarded as one of Japan’s key strategic focus areas.

The company is positioning itself carefully to avoid politicization, framing its work as biomanufacturing rather than traditional agriculture disruption.

Product Offerings and Services

Materials

• IMEM – Food-grade basal culture medium
• IMEM 2.0 – Cost-effective formulation utilizing yeast extracts
• Egg-yolk-based FBS alternative – For avian cells
• Food-grade 3D scaffolds – For structured cell cultivation
• Contamination-resistant media – For large-scale culture
• Cell-cultured cosmetic ingredients – Including Cellament

Equipment

• Oxy-thru Cultivator – Low-cost bioreactor
• Desktop CulNet – Serum production unit

Services

• CulNet Pipeline CRO – R&D services for partners
• Regulatory dossier review – For cell-cultured food companies

In summary, IntegriCulture is carving out a significant presence in the cellular agriculture landscape, blending innovative technology with a multifaceted business approach. As they navigate regulatory challenges and explore new market opportunities, the company’s future looks promising.