Cultivated-meat company Believer Meats — which this fall completed construction of its Wilson, N.C., processing plant and also cleared major hurdles in getting approval to sell its product in the U.S. — has unexpectedly shut down its operations, according to several news reports and social media accounts.
According to CTech, a technology news site by Israeli daily financial publication Calcalist, the company laid off its remaining employees after running out of cash and facing more than $34 million in unpaid construction bills for the plant. CTech reported that Believer Meats’ global head of HR and talent announced the cease of operations on social media.
The FDA had granted Believer a “No Questions” letter in late July, and the USDA had approved the company’s labeling for its cultivated chicken product in early November, according to various reports.
However, the company faced a lawsuit from the construction company that built the North Carolina plant, and in October 2025, Believer reportedly agreed upon a payment plan with the first payment due by Dec. 5. The construction company now claims Believer did not pay the first installment and therefore breached the agreement.
CTech further noted that executives were seeking a buyer for the company at this point.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.