What Melt&Marble does

Melt&Marble AB is a Swedish biotechnology company that designs and produces designer fats and lipids through precision fermentation using engineered yeast strains. Founded in 2021 as a spin-out from Chalmers University of Technology's Systems and Synthetic Biology group in Gothenburg, the company has developed a proprietary metabolic engineering platform that redirects yeast cellular pathways away from alcohol production to synthesize fats with programmable molecular properties, including controlled fatty acid chain length, saturation, and assembly onto lipid molecules. This enables the production of customized ingredients that target specific functional properties such as melting behavior, texture, sensory performance, and biomimetic compatibility with human sebum. The company serves B2B customers in two verticals: food manufacturers (alternative meat and dairy, confectionery, bakery, and snacks) through MeltyMarble™ and DairyMarble™, and personal care/beauty brands through Marble7™, an Omega-7-rich bio-active lipid with INCI name r-Saccharomyces Butter.

The business model centers on B2B ingredient sales to enterprise food and personal care manufacturers using a sales-led, quote-based pricing structure with multi-year contracts. Distribution follows a capital-efficient model in which production is outsourced to a commercial manufacturing partner rather than built in-house, and strategic co-development partnerships with industry leaders (Valio in dairy/food, Beiersdorf in personal care) serve as both embedded go-to-market channels and validation mechanisms. Both Valio and Beiersdorf are also equity investors in the company, creating aligned commercial incentives. Marketing and demand generation run through the company website, industry press coverage, conference participation, and LinkedIn.

The company is pre-revenue at commercial scale. First commercial launches are targeted for 2026 in both personal care and food markets, enabled by March 2026 regulatory milestones: self-affirmed GRAS status for MeltyMarble in the US and INCI approval for Marble7 internationally. Total disclosed funding is approximately €10M, comprising a €5M seed round (May 2022), €2.76M in EU grants (July 2024), and a €7.3M Series A (December 2025) led by Industrifonden. Headcount sits in the 11–50 range, with recent senior commercial and technical hires signaling preparation for commercial scaling. Technology readiness has been demonstrated at over 10,000 liters of demo-scale bioreactor volume (TRL 8), and the company's stated addressable market across oils, fats, and lipids in personal care, beauty, alternative protein, confectionery, and specialized nutrition exceeds €100 billion.

Name

Melt&Marble

Legal name

Melt&Marble AB

Website

https://meltandmarble.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Melt&Marble is a Swedish biotech company using precision fermentation with engineered yeast to produce designer fats and lipids for B2B customers in food manufacturing and personal care/beauty applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision fermentation lipid ingredients

NAICS

Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Structured Lipids & Oleogels (Fat Replacers, Organogels) (AFAJALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy & Non-Dairy Fat Systems (Creamer Fats, Whipping/Fill Fats) (AFAJALAH), Hydrogenated/Interesterified Fats & Specialty Lipids Manufacturing (AFAKAEAH), Fat & Flavor Systems for Meat Alternatives (Cultivated Fats, Flavor Precursors, Masking) (AFANAKAH)

Keywords

• Precision fermentation lipids
• Designer fat ingredients
• Alternative protein fats
• Bioactive personal care lipids
• Microbial metabolic engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Göteborg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Ingredient Sales: Sale of precision fermentation-derived designer fats and lipids as ingredients to food and personal care manufacturers. Revenue generated through direct ingredient sales, sample evaluations, and commercial supply agreements with food brands and personal care companies.
2. Co-development Partnerships: Strategic co-development collaborations with major food and personal care companies (e.g., Valio) where Melt&Marble provides proprietary fat ingredients for joint product development, potentially generating development fees and future supply revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Melt&Marble designs and produces designer fats and lipids through precision fermentation of engineered yeast strains, selling these as B2B ingredients to food manufacturers (alternative meat, dairy, confectionery, bakery) and personal care brands (skin, scalp, hair care). The company controls fatty acid composition, chain length, and saturation at the molecular level to deliver fats with specific melting behavior, texture, mouthfeel, and biomimetic skin properties that conventional plant fats cannot match.

Product overview

Melt&Marble is a Swedish biotech company that designs and produces designer fats and lipids using precision fermentation technology. The company's product portfolio includes Marble7™ for personal care and beauty applications (a 3-in-1 bio-active lipid with skin biomimetic properties), MeltyMarble for food applications (fermented fat that mimics animal fats for use in alternative meat, dairy, confectionery, and bakery products), and DairyMarble™ for dairy alternatives. These products are produced by engineering yeast through precision fermentation to create fats with controlled composition and structure, offering sustainable, high-performance alternatives to conventional fats for food and personal care industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MeatyMarble™: Solid, meat-like fat designed to replicate properties of animal-derived fats for use in alternative meat products.
• DairyMarble™
• Marble7™
• MeltyMarble™

Products and services

• Marble7 3-in-1 bio-active lipid ingredient for personal care and beauty applications, rich in Omega-7 with a lipid profile similar to human sebum. Designed as a multifunctional soft-solid emollient for skin, scalp, and hair care formulations; melts at skin temperature for a solid-to-silk texture transformation.
• MeltyMarble Fermented designer lipid inspired by animal fats, built to deliver targeted functionality across alternative meat, dairy, confectionery, bakery, and snack applications. Provides controlled flavor delivery, melting behavior, and creamy/juicy mouthfeel. Previously known as MeatyMarble.
• DairyMarble Precision-fermented dairy fat designed to enhance organoleptic properties of dairy analogues including cheeses, butters, and bakery products. Part of Melt&Marble's product pipeline targeting the dairy alternatives market.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saturated fat content of 40-60% compared to 90% in coconut oil
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, supporting and strategic.

• ValioflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2025Strategic co-development partnership to integrate Melt&Marble's designer fats into Valio's food products including next-generation plant-based products. Valio brings formulation expertise and food application knowledge to enhance texture and flavor of products.
• EIT Food Accelerator NetworksupportingOthers · 30 April 2024Selected for 2024 EIT Food Accelerator Network program from 500+ applicants. Provides ecosystem access, mentorship, and commercialization support for food tech startups.
• ValiostrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish dairy giant and strategic investor partnering with Melt&Marble to develop next-generation food products. Working on alternative protein applications using Melt&Marble's precision fermentation-based designer fats.
• DELICIOUS Project ConsortiumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Horizon-funded initiative with 17 organizations from 9 countries focused on redefining plant-based dairy. Melt&Marble contributes fat solutions for replicating taste and texture of animal fats in dairy alternatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Zero Acre Farms: Cultured-oil startup producing fermentation-derived oils and fats for food applications. Closest direct competitor to Melt&Marble's MeltyMarble food-fat product, with overlapping target customers in food manufacturing and alternative protein.
• C16 Biosciences: US-based precision fermentation company producing palm oil alternatives through engineered microbes. Directly comparable technology platform (microbial engineering for designer fats/oils) and a head-to-head competitor for the same sustainability-driven B2B ingredient customers.

Emerging players

• Nourish Ingredients: Australia/Singapore-based startup producing fermentation-derived specialty fats (including cultivated animal fat alternatives) for food applications. Comparable emerging precision fermentation fat platform targeting alt-protein and food manufacturers.
• Conagen: US-based precision fermentation company developing specialty ingredients including lipids and flavors via engineered microbes. Comparable synthetic biology platform approach targeting food, personal care, and nutrition customers.
• Luyef: Early-stage European precision fermentation startup producing designer fats and oils via microbial fermentation. Closely aligned emerging competitor pursuing similar B2B ingredient opportunities in food and personal care.

Broad incumbents

• AAK (AarhusKarlshamn): Swedish-headquartered global leader in specialty oils and fats for chocolate, bakery, dairy alternatives, and personal care. Direct incumbent against which Melt&Marble's designer fats must compete for formulary slots with major CPG customers.
• Cargill: Global agribusiness and leading producer of edible oils, fats, and food ingredients with deep CPG customer relationships. Notable also because Melt&Marble's CBO Thomas Cresswell previously led venture investments at Cargill Ventures, signaling the strategic relevance of incumbents in this space.
• ADM: Global food and nutrition ingredients major with substantial specialty fats and oils portfolios serving alternative protein, bakery, and confectionery customers. Direct incumbent competitor for ingredient design-in at major food manufacturers.
• IOI Loders Croklaan: Specialty fats and oils producer (part of IOI Corporation) focused on bakery, confectionery, and dairy alternative applications. Comparable specialty-fat incumbent competing for the same B2B food manufacturer customers as Melt&Marble's MeltyMarble.

Others

• Perfect Day: US precision fermentation company producing animal-free dairy proteins. Uses an analogous fermentation platform and pursues B2B CPG customers, providing a useful precedent for commercialization, regulatory navigation, and partnership economics in the alternative-dairy value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meltandmarble

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors16 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 Melt&Marble