Helsinki / FI. (pg) Finland’s Paulig Group’s venture arm PINC has invested in Swedish start-up Melt+Marble, which has developed yeast as a production platform for tasty and sustainable fats for plant-based foods. Melt+Marble has raised EUR 750’000 in seed funding to finalise its prototype and strengthen the team. Paulig’s product range is almost 100% plant-based, and as a sustainability frontrunner, the company actively seeks innovative products that are good for both people and the planet.
Melt+Marble uses precision fermentation to produce sustainable fats for plant-based foods. By engineering the metabolism of yeasts, the team can precisely mimic any fat structure as well as create completely new. Due to this flexibility, Melt+Marble’s technology can create tailored fats for a range of plant-based products.
«As the demand for plant-based protein alternatives is growing rapidly, there will soon be a real shortage of coconut oil, which is the most common fat used today. With more than ten years of experience, Melt+Marble has done great work in developing an unmatched technology platform to create an animal-mimicking fat without the animal. This will significantly improve the taste of plant-based alternatives and we are very excited to be part of their journey», says Marika King, Head of Paulig’s venture arm PINC.
«Fat is key to the experience of eating a delicious piece of meat», says Anastasia Krivoruchko, founder and CEO of Melt+Marble. «Because the properties of plant-based fats are different from those of animal fats, the experience of eating many plant-based meats has so far been inferior compared to the real thing. With our technology, we can create fats that are identical to animal fats, or even better, this could become a booster for the entire industry!» She adds: «It’s great to have Paulig on board due to its long experience in developing food and its focus on sustainability.»
In total, four investors participated in the funding, and the seed round was led by Nordic FoodTech VC. The first prototypes of animal-mimicking fat are expected to be ready by the end of the year.
