Two European cultured “meat” companies are combining. Israel’s Ever After Foods (EAF), a developer of cultured chicken and beef, on Aug. 17 said it had acquired Belgium’s Fishway, working on replicating fish fillets. Financial details were not disclosed.

“Following a successful technology collaboration validating the compatibility of the two platforms, the acquisition adds a portfolio of aquatic cell lines, expertise in animal-component-free media and a highly experienced scientific team” to Ever After Foods, the acquirer said.

Ever After calls its process species-agnostic. “We are committed to selectively integrating complementary biology, media and manufacturing technologies while remaining an open manufacturing platform serving companies across the cultivated protein ecosystem,” said Eyal Rosenthal, CEO of Ever After Foods.

In parallel with the acquisition Eve After also secured an additional $2 million strategic investment to support continued commercialization and further expansion of its platform.

“EAF’s initial collaboration with Fishway demonstrated that combining specialized aquatic biology and animal-component-free media with EAF's manufacturing platform creates a faster, more integrated pathway from biological innovation through media development and industrial-scale production,” Ever After said.

One of the integrated platform's initial commercial programs will focus on cultivated functional protein ingredients for premium pet food, “given the compelling combination of industry demand, product value and favorable regulatory dynamics.”