# Wildtype

> Wildtype is a San Francisco-based cultivated seafood company that grows real salmon from fish cells in stainless steel bioreactors - no fishing, no farming, no ocean required. Founded in 2016 by a cardiologist-turned-food-scientist and a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, the company received FDA clearance in May 2025, making it the first cultivated seafood product approved for sale in the United States. With $123.5M raised and backing from Jeff Bezos, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cargill, Wildtype is betting that the future of seafood is grown, not caught.

- **Founded:** 2016
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States
- **Founders:** Justin Kolbeck (Co-Founder & CEO), Arye Elfenbein (Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** ~78-102 employees across North America and Europe
- **Products:** Cultivated Pacific Coho Salmon
- **Notable:** First cultivated seafood company to receive FDA 'no questions' clearance (May 28, 2025), Fourth cultivated meat/seafood company overall to receive FDA approval, Raised $100M Series B in February 2022 - largest funding round ever for cultivated seafood at the time

## Products & services

- **Cultivated Pacific Coho Salmon** — Sushi-grade salmon grown from real Pacific salmon cells in bioreactors over 4-6 weeks. Free of antibiotics, heavy metals, microplastics, and other contaminants found in wild or farmed fish. FDA-cleared since May 2025.

## Achievements

- First cultivated seafood company to receive FDA 'no questions' clearance (May 28, 2025)
- Fourth cultivated meat/seafood company overall to receive FDA approval
- Raised $100M Series B in February 2022 - largest funding round ever for cultivated seafood at the time
- Built world's first operational cultivated seafood pilot plant (2021)
- Hosted first public tasting of cultivated salmon at Portland restaurant (June 2019)
- Co-founders testified against state cultivated meat bans, becoming regulatory advocates

## Latest updates

- **2025-08** — Bay Area debut at Robin San Francisco (Hayes Valley omakase) - first time San Francisco locals could eat Wildtype salmon.
- **2025-07** — Expanded to OTOKO in Austin, Texas - growing restaurant partner network.
- **2025-05** — FDA issued 'no questions' letter clearing Wildtype's cultivated coho salmon for U.S. sale - a historic first for cultivated seafood after 6 years and 8 rounds of regulatory dialogue.
- **2025-05** — Restaurant debut at Kann in Portland, Oregon with chef Gregory Gourdet.
- **2024-12** — Announced partnerships with Snowfox (1,230+ grocery locations) and Pokéworks (60+ fast casual) to expand beyond fine dining.

## Links

- Website: https://wildtypefoods.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/wildtype-foods
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/wildtypefoods
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildtypefoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildtypefoods

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/wildtype
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-18