C16 Biosciences
C16 Biosciences is a New York-based biotechnology company that uses proprietary yeast fermentation to produce sustainable Palmless™ lipid ingredients as alternatives to palm oil, serving consumer goods manufacturers across beauty, personal care, home care, and food sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What C16 Biosciences does
C16 Biosciences is a New York-based biotechnology company founded in 2016-2018 by graduates of MIT, Harvard, and HBS that has developed the Palmless™ platform, a proprietary yeast-fermentation biomanufacturing process producing sustainable alternatives to palm oil and petroleum-derived ingredients. The company's first commercial product, Palmless™ Torula Oil, is a bioactive super-emollient containing carotenoids, sterols, and terpenoids that is clinically shown to improve skin barrier function and boost UVA/UVB protection in SPF formulations; the platform is also being extended to designer fats and oils for food applications (bakery, confectionery, packaged foods) and to fatty alcohols, fatty acids, and triglycerides for home and personal care.
C16 commercializes through three complementary motions: (1) B2B ingredient supply to consumer goods manufacturers in beauty, personal care, home care, and food sectors (including Tower 28 Beauty, PANGAIA, Haeckels, and Sephora-distributed products); (2) co-branded consumer products such as the REWILD Body Block soap bar with PANGAIA/Haeckels sold at Selfridges; and (3) direct-to-consumer sales through gopalmless.com, anchored by the limited-edition Save the F#$%ing Rainforest Nourishing Oil. Pricing is quote-based for B2B ingredients and publicly listed for DTC ($45/bottle). The company achieved industrial-scale 50,000L fermentation in November 2022 and is now producing metric tons of oil per week.
The company has raised approximately $36.3M in total disclosed funding, including a $20M Series A led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures with Waldencast and Future Tech Labs (January 2023), plus a $4M seed round from Y Combinator and a $4.5M Gates Foundation/Elemental Excelerator tranche for food expansion. Investor quality is high (Bill Gates-affiliated Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Gates Foundation), the technology addresses the $64B palm oil market's environmental and supply-chain vulnerabilities, and the company is positioned to benefit from EUDR/EUDDD regulatory tailwinds. The current strategic focus is scaling commercial adoption in beauty while pursuing FDA GRAS status for food-grade ingredients.
C16 Biosciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- C16 Biosciences
- Legal name
- C16 Biosciences
- Website
- https://c16bio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- C16 Biosciences is a New York-based biotechnology company that uses proprietary yeast fermentation to produce sustainable Palmless™ lipid ingredients as alternatives to palm oil, serving consumer goods manufacturers across beauty, personal care, home care, and food sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
C16 Biosciences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bio-based specialty lipid ingredients
- NAICS
- Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Surface Active Agent Manufacturing (325613)
- 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
- Bio-based Surfactants, Detergent Ingredients & Oleochemicals (EUAAAIAE), Fats, Oils & Lipid Ingredients (Specialty Oils, MCTs, Structured Lipids) (CRADAOAL)
Keywords
Where C16 Biosciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
C16 Biosciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- B2B Ingredient Sales: Selling Palmless ingredients (Torula Oil, designer fats and oils) to consumer goods manufacturers in beauty, personal care, home care, and food sectors. Revenue generated from ingredient supply contracts with brand partners.
- Consumer Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded Palmless products including 'Save the F#$%ing Rainforest nourishing oil' sold through gopalmless.com. Also co-branded products with partners like PANGAIA and Haeckels.
- Technology Licensing: Platform technology available for licensing to consumer goods manufacturers seeking to incorporate sustainable palm oil alternatives in their products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Save the F#$%ing Rainforest Nourishing Oil - Limited Edition |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
C16 Biosciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
C16 Biosciences develops and sells sustainable palm oil and petroleum-derived ingredient alternatives produced through proprietary yeast fermentation biomanufacturing. Its Palmless platform produces high-value lipid ingredients — including the flagship Palmless Torula Oil for beauty and personal care, designer fats and oils for food applications, and fatty acids/alcohols/triglycerides for home and personal care — sold primarily B2B to consumer goods manufacturers and DTC through the Palmless brand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Palmless™: Platform for sustainable palm oil alternatives produced by C16 Biosciences. Includes Palmless Torula Oil for beauty and personal care, and Palmless ingredients for food applications.
Products and services
- Palmless Torula Oil Bioactive super-emollient oil produced via yeast fermentation, packed with antioxidant carotenoids (beta carotene, torulene), sterols and terpenoids. Clinically proven to improve skin barrier function, protect against UV rays and free radicals, reduce fine lines and redness, and boost UVA/UVB performance in SPF formulations. Sold B2B to beauty and personal care manufacturers as a sustainable alternative to palm oil and petroleum-derived emollients.
- Palmless Food-Grade Fats and Oils Portfolio of targeted, designer fats and oils produced via fermentation from non-agriculturally derived feedstocks. Designed for bakery, confectionery, and packaged food applications where they provide creamy mouthfeel, satisfying snap, and spreadability. Sold B2B to food manufacturers as sustainable palm oil alternatives; pursuing FDA GRAS status.
- Palmless Home & Personal Care Ingredients Non-palm kernel oil, non-petroleum derived fatty alcohols, fatty acids, and triglycerides produced via fermentation for use in shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, and laundry detergent. Sold B2B to home and personal care manufacturers as sustainable alternatives with traceable, EUDR- and EUDDD-compliant sourcing.
- Save the F#$%ing Rainforest Nourishing Oil (Limited Edition) Limited-edition consumer nourishing oil formulated with Palmless Torula Oil and available DTC through gopalmless.com. Priced at $45 per bottle, with each purchase contributing to Stand For Trees and supporting forest preservation in Rimba Raya Orangutan Reserve, Indonesia.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250x more efficient land use compared to traditional palm oil production
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use C16 Biosciences
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
C16 Biosciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
C16 Biosciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Tower 28 BeautyflagshipTower 28 Beauty launched ShineOn Plumping Lip Jelly featuring C16 Biosciences's Palmless Torula Oil - the first colour cosmetic product to use this yeast-derived palm oil alternative. This partnership demonstrates commercial adoption of Palmless ingredients in the beauty sector.
- PANGAIAcoreCollaboration to launch REWILD Body Block - the first ever soap bar made with C16 Biosciences' Palmless Torula Oil. PANGAIA is a purpose-led materials science company and B-Corp. Product sold at PANGAIA.com, Haeckels.co.uk, and Selfridges.
- HaeckelscoreHaeckels, a cult British skincare and fragrance brand and B-Corp, manufactured the REWILD Body Block at their Margate facility, blending Palmless Torula Oil with their seaweed extract and organic materials.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
C16 Biosciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Conagen: Precision fermentation company producing high-value ingredients (flavors, fragrances, nutritional lipids, sweeteners) via microbial fermentation. Directly comparable platform technology serving similar B2B ingredient customers in beauty, food, and personal care.
- Checkerspot: Fermentation-derived oil platform producing novel polyols and triglycerides for personal care, beauty, and food applications. Closest direct peer to C16's Palmless Torula Oil and designer lipid approach.
- Corbion: Global leader in sustainable ingredient solutions including algae-based and fermentation-derived oils for food, personal care, and home care. Direct competitor in the palm oil alternatives market with established commercial scale.
- AAK: Specialty oils and fats company serving food, personal care, and home care manufacturers globally. Competes in the same downstream applications (bakery, confectionery, personal care) that C16 targets with its Palmless ingredients.
- Mibelle Biochemistry: Swiss biotech producing bioactive ingredients for the cosmetics industry using fermentation, plant cell culture, and biotechnology. Direct competitor supplying innovative active ingredients to beauty brands.
Emerging players
- Geltor: Precision fermentation company producing animal-free proteins (collagen, elastin) for beauty and food. Comparable fermentation platform technology and B2B ingredient model, though focused on proteins rather than lipids.
- Amyris: Former precision fermentation leader producing squalane, hemisqualane, and other lipid ingredients for beauty and personal care via yeast fermentation. Closely comparable technology platform though the company underwent restructuring, providing a cautionary precedent for fermentation-ingredient business models.
Broad incumbents
- Evonik: Global specialty chemicals giant with significant fermentation-derived ingredient portfolio (e.g., ceramides, omega-3, biosurfactants) serving personal care, food, and home care. Broad incumbent that competes across C16's end markets.
- Kemin Industries: Global ingredient manufacturer with specialty fats, oils, and bioactive ingredients for food, beauty, and personal care. Broad incumbent with deep B2B relationships in the same verticals C16 is targeting.
- Cargill: Largest global trader of palm oil and major supplier of specialty fats/oils to food manufacturers. Defines the cost benchmark and incumbent supply chain that C16's Palmless platform aims to disrupt.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
C16 Biosciences social profiles
Digital presenceC16 Biosciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
C16 Biosciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
C16 Biosciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors22 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
C16 Biosciences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about C16 Biosciences
What does C16 Biosciences do?
C16 Biosciences develops and sells sustainable palm oil and petroleum-derived ingredient alternatives produced through proprietary yeast fermentation biomanufacturing. Its Palmless platform produces high-value lipid ingredients — including the flagship Palmless Torula Oil for beauty and personal care, designer fats and oils for food applications, and fatty acids/alcohols/triglycerides for home and personal care — sold primarily B2B to consumer goods manufacturers and DTC through the Palmless brand.
Is C16 Biosciences a public or private company?
C16 Biosciences is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was C16 Biosciences founded?
C16 Biosciences was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is C16 Biosciences based?
C16 Biosciences is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does C16 Biosciences make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. B2B Ingredient Sales are the primary driver. The others are consumer Product Sales and technology Licensing.
Who are C16 Biosciences's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Conagen, Checkerspot, Corbion, AAK and Mibelle Biochemistry. Emerging players are Geltor and Amyris. Broad incumbents are Evonik, Kemin Industries and Cargill.
Does C16 Biosciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for C16 Biosciences.
What industry is C16 Biosciences in?
C16 Biosciences's product category is Bio-based specialty lipid ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJAKAC, Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids (Fish/Algal Oils, EPA/DHA, MCTs, CLA, Phospholipids), with a secondary code of EUAAAIAE, Bio-based Surfactants, Detergent Ingredients & Oleochemicals. Its NAICS code is 31122 and its SIC code is 2070.