Melt&Marble Secures €7.3 Million to Revolutionize Fats in Food and Personal Care
Swedish biotech firm Melt&Marble has successfully raised €7.3 million in Series A funding, positioning itself to transform the landscape of fats and oils used in both the food and personal care industries. This funding round, coupled with a €2.7 million EU grant, brings their total funding to €10 million and will fuel the company’s ambitious plans to scale up production and launch its innovative ingredients.
Precision Fermentation: The Future of Fats
Melt&Marble is pioneering the use of precision fermentation to create custom-designed fats that offer enhanced functionality, taste, and health benefits. These sustainable, high-performance alternatives to conventional oils and fats are poised to address the growing demand for more environmentally friendly and effective ingredients.
Key Investors and Strategic Partnerships
The Series A round was led by Industrifonden, a Swedish deep tech investor, with significant participation from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. Strategic partners Beiersdorf and Valio, major players in the personal care and food sectors, also joined the round, underscoring the broad industry interest in Melt&Marble’s technology. Additional support came from Chalmers Ventures and Catalyze Capital.
“This investment is a pivotal milestone for Melt&Marble as we transition from R&D to commercialization. With key scalability milestones achieved and strategic partners on board, we are entering the market with the capacity and confidence to drive real change,” says Anastasia Krivoruchko, CEO of Melt&Marble.
Addressing a Multi-Billion Dollar Market
The market for oils, fats, and lipids relevant to Melt&Marble’s platform is currently valued at over $100 billion. This encompasses a wide range of applications, including personal care and beauty, meat and dairy alternatives, chocolate confectionery, baked goods, and specialized nutrition. As brands in the food and personal care sectors strive to meet sustainability goals and consumer demand for high-performance ingredients, fats have emerged as a critical area of focus.
Advantages of Precision-Fermented Fats
Traditional fats, such as palm oil, coconut oil, and animal fats, often face challenges related to performance, supply volatility, and environmental concerns. Melt&Marble’s precision fermentation platform offers animal-free, tailored fat structures that provide superior functionality, from improved texture and consistency in foods to enhanced skin feel and bioactivity in cosmetics.
“Melt&Marble has achieved impressive technological and commercial maturity for a company at this stage. Their ability to develop functional fats through precision fermentation meets a clear and growing demand across various industries,” notes Tobias Elmquist, Senior Investment Director at Industrifonden.
Strategic Insights from Industry Leaders
- Beiersdorf: Ascan Voswinckel, Head of Venture Capital at Beiersdorf, highlights Melt&Marble’s technology as addressing a key challenge in the personal care industry, aligning with the increasing consumer interest in sustainable and responsible products.
- Valio: Susanna Kallio, Vice President at Valio, emphasizes the importance of collaboration between established companies and startups in advancing cellular agriculture solutions, noting the potential of Melt&Marble’s designed fats to underpin innovative products.
Looking Ahead: Commercial Launch and Market Expansion
Melt&Marble’s product portfolio includes fats designed to enhance functionality in various categories, including alternative meat and dairy products, baked goods, chocolate, skincare, and haircare. The company plans to commercially launch its first ingredients in the personal care sector in 2026. Production volumes will be delivered through an existing commercial manufacturing partner, ensuring scalability without significant capital expenditure.
In addition to its focus on Europe, Melt&Marble is preparing to enter the U.S. food market, where regulatory processes allow for faster establishment. The company is also exploring other geographic areas for further expansion. Commercial collaborations and distribution discussions are ongoing, with Melt&Marble actively co-developing products with partners in anticipation of a commercial launch.
The Broader Impact
“Melt&Marble is an example of how deep tech and research-driven entrepreneurship can transform personal care and global food systems to solve one of humanity’s greatest challenges. By combining advanced biotechnology with a clear sustainability mission, they are redefining what is possible for the future of food,” says Björn Westman, Investment Director at Chalmers Ventures.
This funding marks a significant step forward for Melt&Marble as it moves towards commercializing its precision-designed fats and lipids, contributing to a more sustainable future for both the food and personal care industries.
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