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Has Bill Gates invested in cultivated (lab-grown) meat companies?
Executive summary
Bill Gates has invested—either personally or via vehicles he’s linked to—in multiple companies developing plant-based and cell-cultured meat, including early stakes in Memphis Meats (now Upside Foods) and reported investments in Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods [1] [2] [3]. Coverage across business outlets and fact-checkers consistently reports Gates as an investor or backer of those startups and of Breakthrough Energy Ventures’ activity in the space [1] [2] [3].
1. A billionaire backer of "clean" and plant-based meat: the core facts
Reporting in CNBC and other business outlets states that Bill Gates invested in Memphis Meats (now Upside Foods) alongside investors like Richard Branson, Tyson and Cargill, and that he has backed plant-based companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods—claims also reiterated by PolitiFact and MIT Technology Review [1] [3] [2]. Multiple funding announcements and industry pieces name Gates among a constellation of high‑profile backers for cultivated‑meat startups [1] [4].
2. Which companies are specifically named in the reporting?
The sources repeatedly identify Memphis Meats (which rebranded to Upside Foods) as a company Gates invested in, citing its $17 million early round and later large fundraises that included Gates among many investors [1] [5] [4]. Coverage and summaries also list Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods as companies Gates has backed at times [2] [3]. News coverage around USDA/FDA approvals has likewise described Upside Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) as “Bill Gates‑backed” in reporting on cultivated‑meat regulatory milestones [6] [7].
3. Investor vehicles and philanthropic overlap: who exactly invested?
Sources note Gates’ investments may be direct or through investment vehicles such as Breakthrough Energy Ventures or via personal investments; MIT Technology Review explicitly says Gates is an investor “either personally or through Breakthrough Energy Ventures” in Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Memphis Meats and others [2]. PolitiFact likewise distinguishes between Gates’ personal investments and foundation grants, documenting both investment stakes and related philanthropic activity in agriculture [3].
4. Scale and timing: early rounds vs. later industry growth
Many stories place Gates among early and follow‑on backers during formative rounds—Memphis Meats’ early $17 million round is singled out, and Upside Foods’ later $400 million Series C is reported with Gates listed among a broad investor group [5] [4]. Journalists emphasize that Gates is one of many institutional and billionaire investors supporting a sector that has grown from small proof‑of‑concept companies to larger, well‑capitalized startups [4].
5. Why Gates invested: climate framing and strategic goals
In interviews and his writing, Gates has framed investments in plant‑based and cell‑based proteins as part of a climate strategy—he has argued that reducing emissions from conventional meat production will require alternatives, and news pieces connect that rationale to his investment activity [2] [8]. Coverage shows an explicit climate and technology‑innovation motive behind the backing rather than merely a consumer‑product play [2] [8].
6. Points of dispute and misrepresentation to watch for
Fact‑checkers have flagged viral content that misattributes specific products or sensational imagery to Gates‑backed companies; AFP’s fact check warns that creative videos and claims about a “Bill Gates‑funded moving drumstick” were false while reiterating that Gates has invested in meat‑alternative startups [9]. Also, some partisan and agricultural sites mix factual investment claims with political criticism of Gates’ broader influence—those pieces may conflate investment, philanthropy, and policy advocacy without separating the sources [10].
7. What reporting does not settle for you here
Available sources list companies Gates has backed and describe whether investments were personal or via an investment vehicle, but they do not uniformly present a definitive, line‑by‑line ledger of every stake he holds today; detailed portfolio allocations or current ownership percentages are not provided in these pieces [2] [3]. If you need a complete, current list of all Gates‑held equity stakes, available sources do not mention a comprehensive, up‑to‑date holdings table.
8. Bottom line for the reader
Contemporary, mainstream reporting and fact‑checks consistently conclude Bill Gates has invested in prominent plant‑based and cell‑cultured meat companies—most notably Memphis Meats/Upside Foods and reported backing for Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods—usually either directly or through affiliated investment vehicles focused on climate tech [1] [2] [3]. Critics and viral posts sometimes misrepresent specific products or motives, so use business filings or direct company investor lists to confirm current stake details when precision matters [9] [4].