Singapore-based investment collective Epic Angels has joined a funding round for New Zealand’s biotechnology startup Opo Bio.

The round was led by WNT Ventures, with support from Booster Innovation Fund, Inventors Fund, and Callaghan Innovation.

Epic Angels is the largest female-only investment collective in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, focused on backing early-stage startups and biotech innovation.

Opo Bio specializes in cell line manufacturing for cultivated meat, collagen, and medical use. Founded by Olivia Ogilvie and Laura Domigan at the University of Auckland, the company aims to improve cost efficiency and scalability in bio-manufacturing.

The funds will be used to expand its R&D and business development teams, grow its patent portfolio, and advance scalable solutions to reduce livestock-related emissions.

🔗 Source: Epic Angels

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Bio-manufacturing emerges as a critical solution to food sustainability challenges

Opo Bio’s cell line technology addresses a critical environmental challenge, as traditional livestock production currently generates 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Bio-manufactured alternatives like cultivated meat promise dramatic efficiency improvements, potentially reducing land use by up to 19 times compared to conventional animal agriculture methods 1.

The urgency of Opo Bio’s work is highlighted by projections that global food demand will increase by 41 billion kilograms by 2032, creating pressure to develop more sustainable production systems 1.

This investment is part of a broader industry trend, with the global biomanufacturing sector expected to reach $200 billion, focusing on transformative applications in healthcare, food systems, and environmental sustainability 2.

By specializing exclusively in cell line manufacturing, Opo Bio has identified a critical bottleneck in the industry that needs solving before cultivated meat and similar technologies can achieve meaningful scale.

2️⃣ Biotech startups face unique funding hurdles despite their potential impact

Opo Bio’s funding round comes during a challenging period for biotech startups, with the sector experiencing a tighter investment climate characterized by rising interest rates and increasingly cautious venture capital firms 3.

The biotech industry is seeing a bifurcation between successful and struggling companies, with funding increasingly concentrated in “megarounds” that benefit only a select few ventures 4.