Sustainable Seafood Meets Biotech: Wildtype

Register early taste test! San Francisco-based Wildtype, which focuses on sustainable cell-cultivated seafood, recently raised $100 million in funding from high-profile investors including Jeff Bezos, S2G Ventures and Leonardo DiCaprio. Learn about this startup and blue economy career opportunities while networking with ocean peers. Market Growth: The global market for cell-based food products is valued at approximately $3.2 billion, with projections indicating rapid scaling to $28.4 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) exceeding 32%. Regional Advantage: Northern California boasts the highest concentration of cell-based agtech firms. This advantage stems from a deep talent pool, specialized capital networks and local academic institutions that, combined, can significantly shorten research and development cycles. Production Advancements: Manufacturing efficiencies, optimized bioreactors and novel growth-media formulations are successfully driving down baseline production expenses and accelerating the shift toward commercial price parity. Discover how CEO and co-founder Justin Kolbeck launched the firm, and is driving product development and consumer demand, partnering with chefs, plus expanding into global markets. Kolbeck will also outline career and business development pathways within this cutting-edge industry. AGENDA Join us aside the harbor. no-host bar affordable meal for purchase industry networking speaker presentation More info: https://sfbluetech.com/climate-tech-events/september-happy-hour-2026/ Justin Kolbeck is CEO of Wildtype, a San Francisco-based company which produces cultivated seafood. Co-founded with cardiologist Arye Elfenbein, this startup was created to address the environmental impact of industrial fishing. Operating within the developing cellular agriculture vertical, the company’s first product is sushi-grade salmon saku. Kolbeck holds degrees from UC Berkeley, Yale School of Management and Sciences Po (formally