I-Corps and YC alum Ten Lives launches healthy & sustainable protein for cats

“To demonstrate the application of its precision fermented rabbit protein, Ten Lives created a wet cat treat containing the protein ingredient.” 

Source: Ten Lives

Traditional meat supply chains for pet food are getting squeezed by disease flare-ups, climate shocks, and competition with the human table — yet Ten Lives, a San Francisco start-up, sees only opportunity. Spun up by biotech duo Victoria Mo and Ruby Yu, the company uses an AI-guided precision-fermentation platform to screen billions of yeast strains in hours, churning out ultra-pure, non-GMO animal proteins (starting with rabbit, a cat’s natural prey) that sidestep salmonella, bird-flu and supply-chain kinks while delivering a complete amino-acid profile.

Because their engineered yeast pumps out far more protein per unit of sugar than livestock ever could, Ten Lives projects 90 % lower carbon footprints and a fast glide path to price parity with meat — all while keeping allergens at bay. Small-scale runs are already humming in the company’s Bay Area lab, large-scale batches are lined up with U.S. fermentation partners boasting a century of combined know-how, and an FDA approval target of 2027 looks realistic given precision fermentation’s long safety record.

Best of all, pet parents can taste-test the future today: Ten Lives’ wet cat treats showcase the same high-purity rabbit protein that will soon flow to major manufacturers, proving that healthier, cleaner, climate-friendly nutrition for cats and dogs is not just possible — it’s imminent.

Read more about Ten Lives here