What LIPSA does

LIPSA (LIPIDOS SANTIGA S.A.) is a Spanish privately-held vegetable oil refinery and processor headquartered in Spain, founded in 1973 and operating as the largest vegetable oil refinery in southern Europe. The company processes more than 900,000 tonnes of vegetable oils per year, including palm, corn, sunflower, high-oleic sunflower, coconut, soybean, cocoa butter, rapeseed, palm kernel, shea butter, and cottonseed oils. Its core technology is physical and chemical vegetable oil refining, with proprietary specialization in mitigating contaminants (3-MCPD, GE, MOSH, MOAH) to levels suitable for the most demanding food safety applications, particularly infant nutrition.

The company's product portfolio is organized across five application verticals: human food (frying/snacks, margarines, dairy, ice cream, confectionery, bakery), infant nutrition (monocomponent oils, the LACTALIP specialized oil mixes, and low-contaminant and organic oils), animal feed (specialty fats, CMR, pet food, bypass fats, encapsulated oils), technical/industrial uses (biodiesel, emulsifiers, lubricants, oleochemistry, candles, soaps, paints and resins, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, dielectric oils), and organic products marketed under the Biolip sub-brand. LIPSA maintains supply chain certifications including RSPO (member since 2005, certified since 2009), ISCC (since 2013), and EUDR-aligned Due Diligence Systems under development by 2024, with documented 100% NDPE-compliant palm sourcing and 100% traceability to extractor / 83% to plantation in 2023.

LIPSA operates as a B2B supplier to industrial manufacturers, using direct sales, a dedicated client portal (clientes.lipsa.es), and technical support as its primary go-to-market and customer engagement channels. The revenue model is transactional: refined vegetable oils are sold per contracted volume and specification, with pricing customized to oil type, volume, specification, and contract terms and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct to industrial enterprise buyers across southern Europe with selected cross-Atlantic reach. The company employs 101-250 people and reports revenue as undisclosed. Strategic direction in recent years has been dominated by sustainability and traceability investment, EUDR compliance readiness, and incremental organic product expansion through Biolip rather than aggressive volume scaling.

Name

LIPSA

Legal name

LIPIDOS SANTIGA S.A.

Website

https://lipsa.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LIPSA is a Spanish privately-held vegetable oil refinery and processor founded in 1973, the largest in southern Europe, processing 900,000+ tonnes annually of palm, sunflower, soybean, coconut, rapeseed and other oils for B2B customers across food, infant nutrition, animal feed, technical, and organic applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Edible Oils and Fats Refining

NAICS

Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224)

SIC

Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Vegetable Oil Crushing & Refining (Soy, Canola/Rapeseed, Sunflower, Corn, Cottonseed) (AFAKAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Omega-3 & Specialty Lipids (Fish/Algal Oils, EPA/DHA, MCTs, CLA, Phospholipids) (AFAJAKAC), Industrial Frying Oils & Foodservice Oil Blends Manufacturing (AFAKAEAI), Lipid-Based Emulsions & Encapsulated Oils (Spray-Dried Oils, Microencapsulation) (AFAJALAM)

Keywords

• Vegetable oil refining
• Refined edible oils
• Specialty fats processing
• Industrial oil supply
• Organic oil manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Refined Vegetable Oil Sales: LIPSA refines and processes vegetable oils (palm, sunflower, corn, coconut, soy, rapeseed, and others) to customer specifications. The company processes over 900,000 tonnes per year, serving as one of the main suppliers in the market and the largest vegetable oil refinery in southern Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

LIPSA refines and processes vegetable oils from raw materials including palm, sunflower, corn, coconut, soybean, rapeseed, palm kernel, shea butter, cottonseed, and cocoa butter into customized refined oils and specialty fats. The company supplies industrial B2B customers across five application segments: human food (frying, snacks, margarines, dairy, ice cream, confectionery, bakery), infant nutrition (LACTALIP oil mixes, low-contaminant oils, organic oils), animal feed (CMR, pet food oils, bypass fats, encapsulated products), technical/industrial uses (biodiesel, oleochemistry, lubricants, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, candles, soaps, paints and resins, dielectric oils), and certified organic vegetable oils marketed under the Biolip brand.

Product overview

LIPSA (Lipidos Santiga, S.A.) is a vegetable oil refining and processing company established in 1973, operating as the largest vegetable oil refinery in southern Europe with over 900,000 tonnes processed annually. The company's core offering is refined vegetable oils, with raw materials including palm, corn, sunflower, coconut, soybean, cocoa butter, rapeseed, palm kernel, shea butter, and cottonseed oils. Their portfolio spans multiple product lines: standard refined vegetable oils as the core platform offering; LACTALIP specialized oil mixes for infant nutrition; organic-certified oils under the Biolip brand; specialty fats for animal nutrition including CMR, pet food, bypass fats, and encapsulated oils; and technical oils for industrial applications. The products are organized into five main application categories: human food (frying, snacks, margarines, dairy, ice cream, confectionery, bakery), infant nutrition, animal feed, technical/industrial uses, and organic products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Biolip: Organic vegetable oils product line including refined organic sunflower, high oleic sunflower, soy, rapeseed, palm, coconut oils, and organic palm stearin and olein

Products and services

• Refined Vegetable Oils Refined and processed vegetable oils including palm, high oleic sunflower, corn, coconut, soybean, rapeseed, palm kernel, shea butter, and cottonseed oils, customized to customer specifications for use by manufacturers of food products, infant nutrition, animal feed, technical/industrial applications, and organic products.
• LACTALIP Oil Mixes Specialized oil blends formulated for infant nutrition manufacturers, designed to meet strict safety and quality standards required for baby food applications.
• Biolip Organic Vegetable Oils Organic-certified refined vegetable oils including refined organic sunflower, high oleic organic sunflower, organic soybean, organic rapeseed, organic palm, organic coconut, organic palm stearin, and organic palm olein, sold under the Biolip brand for organic food and infant nutrition manufacturers.
• Specialty Fats for Animal Nutrition Specialty fats designed for animal feed applications, including calf milk replacers (CMR), pet food oils, bypass fats, and encapsulated oils, tailored to nutritional requirements of different animal species.
• Technical Oils Vegetable oils formulated for technical and industrial applications including biodiesel, emulsifiers, lubricants, oleochemistry, candles, soaps, paints and resins, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and dielectric oils.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% traceability achieved for palm oil supply chain to extractor level
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sustainable Coconut PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022LIPSA became a member of the Sustainable Coconut Partnership in 2022, supporting sustainable coconut sourcing practices and supply chain mapping.
• Earthworm FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019LIPSA became a member of Earthworm Foundation in 2019, collaborating on supply chain sustainability. The partnership involves satellite monitoring (Starling) for deforestation detection, grievance procedures for supply chain issues, and ongoing due diligence alignment with EUDR regulations.
• ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013LIPSA obtained ISCC certification in 2013, providing additional sustainability verification for its supply chain and products.
• RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005LIPSA became an RSPO member in 2005 and obtained RSPO certification in 2009. RSPO membership ensures compliance with sustainable palm oil standards and provides supply chain certification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global agribusiness and oilseed processor with vertically integrated crushing and refining operations across multiple feedstocks. Competes with LIPSA in edible oils and specialty applications but operates at vastly greater scale across many commodities.
• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland): Global food and ingredient company with oilseed processing and a sizable specialty fats and oils business serving food and feed manufacturers. Comparable B2B ingredient model but operates globally across many product categories.
• Bunge Limited: One of the world's largest oilseed processors with global refining and specialty fat operations. Comparable refining capabilities and end-market exposure but with global footprint and much broader portfolio.
• Wilmar International: Asia's largest palm oil processor and global edible oils trader with downstream specialty fats operations. Competes in the same refined oils and specialty fats space, particularly relevant given palm feedstock overlap with LIPSA.

Regional players

• Walter Rau (Walter Rau Lebensmittelwerke): German-based specialist in specialty fats, margarines and refined oils with a strong European B2B presence in food and infant nutrition. Closely comparable in scope, geography, and B2B customized-oil delivery model.
• Vandemoortele: European fats and oils producer also active in bakery and margarines, with sustainability initiatives including Earthworm Foundation membership. Compares as a Western European specialty fats peer and an existing LIPSA network contact.
• IOI Corporation: Malaysian integrated palm oil producer with downstream refining and specialty fats operations across Asia and Europe. Comparable on palm-derived specialty fats and on sustainability traceability investments in the palm supply chain.

Direct peers

• Fuji Oil Group: Japanese-headquartered specialty oils and fats producer with strong positions in confectionery, infant nutrition, and plant-based protein. Highly comparable in low-contaminant specialty oils and infant nutrition application segments.
• AAK: Swedish-Danish specialty oils and fats company serving food, infant nutrition, and personal care with customized lipid solutions. Closely comparable to LIPSA in B2B model, specialty oils focus, and infant-nutrition positioning.

Emerging players

• Musim Mas: Large Indonesian palm oil integrated producer with growing downstream specialty fats and refining operations. Compares on feedstock (palm) and sustainability standards (NDPE-aligned) relevant to LIPSA's palm supply chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lipidosantiga

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 LIPSA