Eat Just Inc., a closely held maker of cultivated chicken and plant-based eggs, has dismissed an undisclosed number of employees, less than a month after raising $16 million.
“We took steps this week to reduce costs for the purpose of Just Egg sales covering the company’s operating expenses sooner, and that means parting with some members of the team whom we will miss greatly,” a company spokesperson told Bloomberg via email. The spokesperson declined to say what part of the company was affected.
Neither side of Eat Just’s business makes money, and the company recently has had trouble paying bills. It’s facing a $100 million lawsuit from its bioreactor manufacturer, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based ABEC Inc., as well as a $2.7 million suit from Kansas City, Missouri-based Clark, Richardson & Biskup Consulting Engineers Inc. for work on cultivated meat. The company doesn’t comment on active litigation, the spokesperson said.
In February, Alameda, California-based Eat Just laid off about 18% of employees. It raised $16 million earlier this month from the nonprofit Ahimsa Foundation.
