Believer Meats' now-defunct plant in Wilson, N.C. The cultivated meat processor went out of business in December 2025.

Nearly nine months after the collapse of Believer Meats, its state-of-the-art, $150-million cultivated meat facility in North Carolina remains vacant and unused.

The 200,000-square-foot facility in Wilson County, N.C., received USDA approval in November 2025 to manufacture cultivated chicken products, and Believer stated the facility’s capacity could reach 26 million pounds annually. However, Believer’s debts caught up to it, and the company ceased operation a mere month later.

Now, according to a report from AFN, fellow cultivated meat company UPSIDE Foods has withdrawn a $50-million bid to take over the facility. UPSIDE submitted the bid in June, and it was approved as a baseline “stalking horse” bid while other bids were considered. However, the offer is now withdrawn, and an Aug. 17 court filing acknowledged that “no qualifying bids were received for the transferred assets by the final bid deadline.”

“Unfortunately, the conditions of the transaction were not met, so we have exercised our termination right,” UPSIDE stated to AFN. “UPSIDE remains interested in the facility and will evaluate next steps once the receiver outlines a new process and timeline.”

The sale would have included bioreactors, media/process tanks, centrifuges and other equipment use in cultivated meat production.

Earlier this year, the full extent of Believer’s financial difficulties became apparent during bankruptcy proceedings in its home country of Israel. According to the filed documents, Believer raised approximately $390 million following its 2018 founding, but upon declaring bankruptcy, its total Israel debts were $11 million, while its U.S. subsidiary owed $213 million. The filing described a “serious economic crisis” that encompassed construction delays/costs, regulatory hurdles, as well as the Red Sea naval blockade.