Gourmey, France’s groundbreaking cultivated food enterprise, has acquired Vital Meat to establish PARIMA, a global leader in next-generation animal production. This merger unites two of Europe’s leading innovators, merging their strengths in scalable cell cultivation and validated production economics. PARIMA is committed to developing scalable systems for producing high-quality animal products directly from cells, addressing the world’s increasing needs sustainably across food, nutrition, and beyond.

PARIMA aims to create the most advanced portfolio of cultivated food products, starting with duck and chicken, targeting both premium dining and broader global markets.

The acquisition integrates Gourmey’s comprehensive industrial platform, which includes premium cultivated duck products recognized by Michelin-starred chefs and independently verified production costs below €7/kg, with Vital Meat’s poultry cell-line technology, developed from nearly 25 years of avian cell research at Groupe Grimaud, a leader in animal genetics and biotechnology.

PARIMA stands out with its strong regulatory framework, boasting nine active regulatory filings across major global regions, alongside significant commercial traction with top culinary partners in the premium market and leading agrifood groups.

The cultivated protein sector is progressing into a phase characterized by consolidation and industrial scale-up. By leveraging Gourmey’s validated production economics and expertise in premium product development and food design, PARIMA enhances its capabilities with Vital Meat’s experienced team and Nantes infrastructure, which adds 2,000-liter bioreactor capacity and advanced avian cell lines. This partnership establishes a solid foundation for scaling across species and markets, positioning PARIMA to lead the industry’s next chapter.

While PARIMA will spearhead the group's global scale-up and industrial expansion, Gourmey will continue as its culinary and innovation arm, concentrating on premium segments, established distribution channels, and collaborations with renowned chefs and fine food distributors. Its proven culinary validation and strong demand from top restaurants will remain a key differentiator as PARIMA broadens its portfolio across various species and applications.

“This is the right moment for consolidation and scale,” said Nicolas Morin-Forest, CEO of PARIMA. “We’ve proven economic viability and are now expanding across species. By uniting two pioneering teams, we’re strengthening Europe’s ability to lead the global shift toward efficient and sustainable animal production through innovation, complementing existing methods and building more resilient value chains.”

PARIMA boasts a robust intellectual property portfolio with over 15 patent families and more than 70 patent applications, making it one of the most advanced in the cultivated food sector. Vital Meat’s production-ready chicken cell lines enhance Gourmey’s cost-efficient platform and validated premium positioning, facilitating both industrial and regulatory progress.

PARIMA’s regulatory portfolio builds on Gourmey’s early leadership as the first company to seek approval for cultivated products under the European Commission novel food framework. With nine regulatory filings progressing across key global regions, PARIMA is on track to become the first company globally positioned for the approval of two animal species in the cultivated food sector, duck and chicken, unlocking limitless product applications.

“Joining forces enables us to reach the critical mass needed to serve global, multi-channel markets, from premium foodservice to large-scale B2B ingredients,” said Etienne Duthoit, Founder of Vital Meat. “By bringing together world-class teams in cell line development, bioprocessing, and food science, we are accelerating our path to profitability and unlocking powerful drivers of innovation and growth.”

“Vital Meat’s technology, built on our decades of expertise in animal genetics and bioproduction, is strengthened through its integration into PARIMA,” stated Frédéric Grimaud, CEO of Groupe Grimaud. “This partnership brings together the technical depth and production economics to make cultivated poultry commercially viable.”

PARIMA is poised to show that scalable and economically viable production of cultivated foods and other animal products is now attainable. Built on validated industrial models and adhering to the highest food-safety standards, the company combines scientific precision, industrial efficiency, and culinary expertise to scale production across multiple species and market segments.
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