What Checkerspot does

Checkerspot, Inc. is a Delaware-incorporated biotechnology company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Alameda, California, that designs and licenses specialty lipid ingredients produced through precision fermentation of the heterotrophic microalga Prototheca moriformis. The company's proprietary platform exploits a strain that yields oil content exceeding 80% of dry cell weight (compared to a 44% industry average across more than 150 microbes) and operates in enclosed fermentation tanks, enabling consistent, non-GMO production decoupled from geography, climate, and seasonality. Checkerspot's commercialized molecules include High sn-2 Palmitate Algal Oil (OPO), a bio-equivalent of human milk fat positioned for the infant formula market; a high-oleic palm oil alternative; an Omega-7 algal oil rich in palmitoleic acid; and Algolein™ TG C18/80, a high-oleic algal oil tailored for cosmetics. The company also operates WNDR Alpine, a wholly owned subsidiary producing microalgae-based ski equipment since 2019.

Checkerspot operates a B2B ingredient licensing model, selling or licensing its proprietary lipid molecules to consumer packaged goods brands, ingredient distributors, and specialized manufacturers in food, nutrition, personal care, and supplements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated on a quote basis through partnership agreements. Rather than building its own manufacturing capacity, the company executes a partner-driven distribution model in which established manufacturers handle scale-up and market reach: AAK (Sweden-based global leader in plant-based oils and fats) co-develops and commercially produces structuring fats and oils; Huvepharma provides large-scale fermentation manufacturing for the infant nutrition OPO product; and La Fabrique Végétale commercializes Algolein™ across the European cosmetics market. Revenue is supplemented by platform partnership fees from these co-development relationships.

The company has raised approximately $55 million in a Series C financing led by ArrowMark Partners in February 2023, with prior rounds totaling an additional $54 million (Series A through C), and filed an SEC Form D offering under Rule 506(b) in September 2022 for up to $100 million. Checkerspot is structured as a Public Benefit Corporation, reflecting a dual mission of commercial returns and social/environmental impact. The company has received recognition including the 2026 Fast Company World Changing Ideas award for its OPO development.

Name

Checkerspot

Legal name

Checkerspot, Inc.

Website

https://checkerspot.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Checkerspot is a biotech company that designs and licenses specialty fats and oils produced via precision fermentation of microalgae, serving B2B customers in infant nutrition, functional food, personal care, and supplements through manufacturing partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Bio-Ingredients

NAICS

Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids (Fish/Algal Oils, EPA/DHA, MCTs, CLA, Phospholipids) (AFAJAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty & Tropical Oils Processing (Avocado, Sesame, Peanut, Rice Bran, Grapeseed) (AFAKAEAE), Fats, Oils & Lipid Ingredients (Specialty Oils, MCTs, Structured Lipids) (CRADAOAL), Lipid-Based Emulsions & Encapsulated Oils (Spray-Dried Oils, Microencapsulation) (AFAJALAM)

Keywords

• Precision fermentation lipids
• Microalgae-derived oils
• Algal oil ingredients
• Human milk fat analogs
• Bio-based specialty fats

Headquarters

HQ city

Alameda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ingredient Licensing and Sales: Checkerspot develops specialized lipid ingredients through its microalgae fermentation platform and licenses these molecules to CPG brands, ingredient distributors, and manufacturers. Revenue derived from supplying proprietary algal oils for use in infant nutrition, functional food, personal care, and supplements formulations.
2. Platform Partnership Fees: Strategic partnerships with AAK, Huvepharma, and La Fabrique Végétale involve co-development agreements and commercial manufacturing partnerships where partners provide fermentation scale-up and distribution capabilities in exchange for access to Checkerspot's molecular platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Checkerspot designs and produces specialized lipid ingredients through precision fermentation of the microalgae Prototheca moriformis. The company licenses and sells these tailored oils—including a human milk fat analog (OPO), Omega-7 algal oil, a high-oleic palm oil alternative, and the Algolein™ personal care line—to manufacturers serving infant nutrition, functional food, cosmetics, and supplements markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WNDR Alpine: Outdoor recreation brand producing ski equipment using microalgae oil-based materials since 2019
• Algolein™
• High sn-2 Palmitate Algal Oil
• Omega 7 Algal Oil

Products and services

• High sn-2 Palmitate Algal Oil (OPO) First and only bio-equivalent source of human milk fat analog produced via precision fermentation of microalgae. Contains 70-75% of total palmitic acid in the sn-2 position, matching maternal milk composition. Designed for infant nutrition manufacturers seeking next-generation formula ingredients.
• Omega-7 Algal Oil Algal-derived Omega-7 oil providing over 50% Palmitoleic Acid concentration. Targets metabolic and skin health benefits in supplement and personal care formulations through precision fermentation.
• High-Oleic Palm Oil Alternative Microalgae-derived high-oleic oil that achieves the same fatty acid and triacylglycerol profile as conventional high-oleic palm oil. Provides a sustainable, non-GMO alternative to palm oil without deforestation or supply chain complexity. Functional food and tropical fat alternative.
• Algolein™ TG C18/80 Fermentation-derived high-oleic algal oil containing over 80% oleic acid. Designed for personal care and cosmetics applications with superior oxidative stability and skin barrier support benefits. Trademarked product line commercialized via La Fabrique Végétale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Oil titers up to 145 grams per liter achieved in fermentation process
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AAKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAK, a Sweden-based global leader in plant-based oils and fats, partnered with Checkerspot to develop, scale, and commercially produce alternative sources of structuring fats and oils using Checkerspot's microalgae fermentation platform.
• HuvepharmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuvepharma, a global leader in fermentation technology with extensive expertise in large-scale manufacturing, partnered with Checkerspot to scale production of High sn-2 Palmitate Algal Oil for the infant nutrition market. Partnership combines Checkerspot's molecular platform with Huvepharma's manufacturing and distribution capabilities.
• La Fabrique VégétalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench cosmetics specialist La Fabrique Végétale partnered with Checkerspot to launch Algolein™, algal-derived oils designed for performance and sustainability in the European personal care and cosmetics market. Product debuted at In-Cosmetics Global trade show in Paris (April 2026).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• C16 Biosciences: C16 Biosciences uses precision fermentation to produce palm oil alternatives from microbial sources. Direct peer to Checkerspot given shared approach of fermentation-derived specialty lipids targeting the palm oil displacement opportunity.
• AAK: AAK is a global leader in plant-based oils and fats that is also Checkerspot's partner for scaling structuring fats. Directly comparable in target market (specialty oils and structuring fats for food) but with much broader incumbent portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Corbion (Algae Ingredients): Corbion is a global food and biochemical ingredients company that produces algal DHA ingredients and specialty lipid systems. Comparable to Checkerspot's microalgae-based ingredient platform but operates at incumbent scale across multiple ingredient categories.
• Royal DSM (now dsm-firmenich): DSM produces life sciences and nutrition ingredients including algal DHA and specialty lipids for infant nutrition. Comparable as an established player serving overlapping food, nutrition, and personal care ingredient customers at scale.
• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): ADM is a global agricultural processor and food ingredient supplier with significant oils and fats capabilities. Comparable as a broad ingredient incumbent whose traditional oilseed processing business overlaps with Checkerspot's specialty lipid displacement thesis.
• Wilmar International: Wilmar is one of the world's largest palm oil processors and specialty fats producers. Comparable in the target market of tropical fats and structured lipids that Checkerspot's palm alternative directly seeks to displace.

Emerging players

• LanzaTech: LanzaTech applies gas fermentation to produce specialty chemicals and fuels from waste gases. Comparable emerging precision-fermentation platform with comparable molecule-design ambitions, though targeting different end markets (chemicals, fuels, oils).
• BioReal (Sweden): BioReal (formerly Movex) produces fermentation-derived natural ingredients including algal oils and food ingredients. Comparable emerging fermentation-platform peer producing specialty lipids for food and nutrition markets.
• Photanol: Photanol develops cyanobacteria-based fermentation for specialty chemicals. Comparable as an emerging microbial-platform company pursuing fermentation-derived specialty molecules for industrial and consumer applications.
• Solazyme (now TerVia / part of Corbion): Solazyme pioneered microalgae-derived food and specialty oil ingredients, now part of Corbion's algae ingredients platform. Comparable microalgae-fermentation platform producing tailored lipids for food, nutrition, and personal care customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/checkerspot

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Checkerspot