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Believer Meats – one of the few cultivated meat companies to clear both the FDA and USDA steps required to sell its products in the US – has ceased operations.

The company, founded in 2018 as Future Meat Technologies before rebranding to Believer Meats, had been seen as a frontrunner in the sector.

In 2025, it secured a Food and Drug Administration “No Questions” letter for its cultivated chicken, indicating the agency had no further questions about its safety assessment. Shortly after, it received US Department of Agriculture approvals for labelling and facility oversight, positioning it to begin commercial sales in the US.

The shutdown was disclosed in a LinkedIn post by Anne Schubert, the company’s global VP of talent and human resources. While she did not detail the reasons for the shutdown, her message acknowledged that the outcome was “not what any of us hoped for".

In her post, Schubert said she was “incredibly proud” of what the team achieved during her tenure. “We built a world-class team from the ground up – talented, mission-driven people with diverse skills spanning engineering, biotechnology, manufacturing, food science, quality and more,” she wrote, adding that the group took on “novel and complex challenges with creativity, grit and heart.”

Schubert confirmed that many employees are now seeking new roles. She encouraged companies to consider former Believer Meats staff, describing them as “capable, collaborative, and resilient – the kind of people who raise the bar wherever they go.”

Schubert closed her message by thanking those who supported the company’s mission to build “a better food future,” and offered to connect employers with departing staff.