BLUU and Cultivate at Scale produce fish cells at 1,000-liter scale in Europe

At a Glance

German cell-cultured fish company BLUU and Dutch biotech partner Cultivate at Scale (CaS) have established what they describe as Europe's first industrial platform for cell-cultured marine ingredients. The partners have produced fish cells in bioreactors with a capacity of 1,000 liters—a first for the sector worldwide, according to the companies. Initial applications will target the personal care market, with healthcare and food markets planned for later stages.

Key Details

• BLUU, headquartered in Hamburg, contributes proprietary technology for cultivating Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout cells, while Maastricht-based CaS provides infrastructure and expertise for industrial-scale bioreactor production.
• The collaboration is framed as part of BLUU's localized production strategy and international expansion into European markets.
• Marine ingredients derived from the cell-culture process will first be directed toward the personal care sector, where demand for marine bioactives is strong.
• The companies say the scaling effort will drive cost reductions, ultimately enabling marketable pricing across personal care, healthcare, and food applications.
• BLUU, founded in 2020 in Lübeck, currently employs 28 people from 12 countries, with offices in Hamburg and Berlin.

Top Quote

"This is an important breakthrough for BLUU. Not only can we produce the ingredient, but we also ensure that our cells are produced consistently in real production environments." —Dr. Sebastian Rakers, CEO and co-founder, BLUU