NEOM Investment Ventures into Bio-Manufacturing

Moving another step close to achieve food security, NEOM Investment Fund (NIF), the investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, has announced a strategic investment in Liberation Labs, a global pioneer in precision-fermentation bio-manufacturing.

The partnership will set the foundation for Liberation Labs, a start-up aiming to address capacity bottlenecks in bio-manufacturing, to support Topian, NEOM’s food company, in designing and developing an advanced precision-fermentation facility in the Kingdom.

Liberation Labs develops and operates purpose-built bio-manufacturing facilities that utilise precision fermentation to produce basic food ingredients. The process offers a scalable and sustainable solution to traditional food production methods and can be used to produce high-value proteins without the need for animals.

The investment in Liberation Labs embodies NIF’s role as a strategic investor and ecosystem developer. It lays the groundwork for scalable solutions that will not only benefit Topian’s business but also advance Saudi Arabia’s position as a leader in advanced food bio-manufacturing.

NEOM, located in northwest Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea, is envisioned as a living laboratory and a hub for innovation, aiming to redefine the future of various sectors, including food production. The NEOM Investment Fund (NIF) supports ground-breaking projects, managing investments in order to boost economic growth and provide sustainable solutions.

Strategic Partnership

NIF CEO Majid Mufti said that this strategic partnership marked an important step on NEOM’s journey to become a global hub for industrial-scale sustainable food production.

Liberation Labs’ expertise in precision fermentation and bio-manufacturing will advance the establishment of NEOM as a leader in the bio-manufacturing space, catalysing the adoption of advanced food technologies and reshaping the food systems of tomorrow, he said.

Founder and CEO of Liberation Labs Mark Warner said that the development of their first site in the Middle East, in partnership with NIF and Topian, is an incredible opportunity to blend their purpose-built bio-manufacturing with their purpose-driven organisations.

Topian CEO Dr Juan Carlos Motamayor said that they were transforming food systems to meet the needs of a growing population and a changing climate. The establishment of this advanced bio-manufacturing facility will enable them to produce key food ingredients and high-quality alternative proteins efficiently and sustainably.

“This investment will not only help reduce food imports and improve food security but will also create new economic opportunities and high-skilled jobs, giving the Kingdom a competitive advantage in the dynamic, high-value novel-food sector,” Dr Motamayor said.