That's fat - € 7.3 million Series A for Melt&Marble

The Swedish biotech company Melt&Marble has closed a Series A financing round of €7.3 million (SEK 80 million). The capital will be used to scale up production and launch the first functional fat ingredients for beauty and food applications. Including EU funding of €2.76 million, the company raised around €10 million last year.

The financing round was led by Swedish deeptech investor Industrifonden, flanked by EIC Fund and strategic partners Beiersdorf and Valio. Further support came from Chalmers Ventures and Catalyze Capital.

Focus on precision-fermented designer fatty acids

Melt&Marble uses precision fermentation to develop customized fats that outperform conventional vegetable or animal fats in terms of function, taste and sensory perception. Applications range from skin care and cosmetics to meat and dairy alternatives, baked goods, chocolate and specialized nutrition.

We are entering a new era where fats and lipids are no longer just seen as raw materials, but also as precise ingredients that can boost performance, improve health and support sustainability.

Thomas Cresswell, CBO of Melt&Marble

According to the company, the idea addresses a global market of over 100 billion US dollars for oils, fats and lipids. Traditional fat sources such as palm oil, coconut oil and animal fats are increasingly under pressure. This is particularly due to supply chain risks, performance limits and sustainability requirements.

Investors see growing demand for sustainable high-performance fats

With this funding, the consortium confirms its support for a technology that is gaining momentum both from a regulatory and industrial perspective.

Our vision has always been to deliver more sustainable and higher performing ingredients and this funding round brings us much closer to that goal.

Anastasia Krivoruchko, CEO of Melt&Marble.

Industrifonden particularly emphasized the technical maturity and depth of application of the model. Beiersdorf sees great potential in replacing traditional care fats with sustainable, locally produced alternatives. Valio emphasized the role of cellular agriculture as a future pillar of food production. The EIC Fund sees the financing as a signal of European leadership in fermentation platforms.

Step towards commercialization

With Series A, Melt&Marble is entering the next phase:

• Scaling up the fermentation processes with an existing production partner
• Market entry in 2026 with first ingredients in the personal care sector
• Preparations for the US food market, where regulatory hurdles are lower
• Ongoing co-development projects with manufacturers from Europe and the US

The company emphasizes the possibility of designing fats "from the molecular structure up" and thus specifically optimizing properties such as texture, sensory quality or bioactivity.

Strategic importance for food and beauty

Designer fats are increasingly seen as a key component for better performance in:

• Alternatives to meat and dairy products
• Premium and clean beauty formulations
• baked goods and chocolate
• functional foods

While protein alternatives have been the focus in recent years, the topic of fat structuring is coming to the fore as the next wave of innovation. Chief Business Officer Thomas Cresswell speaks of a new era in which fats are no longer commodities but precisely designed functional building blocks. On the investor side, the interplay between sustainability, functionality and cost competitiveness is emphasized.

Outlook

Melt&Marble is planning the commercial launch of the first cosmetic ingredients for 2026. At the same time, preparations are being made for approval for food markets. The company anticipates a growing demand for fermentation-based lipids as both beauty and food brands are under increasing sustainability pressure and are looking for high-performance alternatives to traditional raw materials.