Sweden’s Melt&Marble has been selected as one of 68 European deep tech startups chosen from 969 applicants to receive a €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator. The company also announces that it has secured an additional €260,000 grant from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
Melt&Marble uses precision fermentation and microbial engineering to create sustainable and resource-efficient alternatives to animal fats, cocoa butter, palm oil, and other agriculturally derived lipids.
With the new funding, the female-led company will reduce production costs and accelerate the pre-commercialization of its first products: MeatyMarble and DairyMarble.
“The EU’s commitment to supporting innovative food production technologies is truly encouraging”
Co-founder & CEO Anastasia Krivoruchko shares, “The EU’s commitment to supporting innovative food production technologies is truly encouraging. This funding will help bring us a step closer to offering delicious and healthy meat and dairy analogues, significantly improving both sustainability and food security.”
Improved analogs for plant-based diets
Melt&Marble explains that its technology allows precise control of the composition and characteristics of fats, including fatty acids, allowing it to create “designer” fats from scratch tailored for different purposes.
MeatyMarble is described as a solid, meat-like fat intended to replicate animal-derived fats in meat alternatives and enhance their taste and flavor. Meanwhile, DairyMarble is said to improve the organoleptic properties of dairy analogs in next-generation cheese, butter, and bakery products. The company plans to explore additional applications for MeatyMarble, including opportunities in the personal care industry.
The Swedish innovator, which recently announced commercial-scale milestones, has plans to gain the FDA’s GRAS status for precision fermentation ingredients to launch in the US market by 2025.
The startup raised €5 million in its seed funding round in 2022, led by Lever VC, with participation from Be8 Ventures and Good Startup.
CBO Thomas Cresswell comments: “These grants mark a significant milestone for Melt&Marble, enabling us to decrease production costs, scale our innovative technology, and bring sustainable fats to market. We are excited about the opportunities this creates for us to progress on our mission to enable the transition to a more sustainable agri-food system.”
