NoPalm Ingredients, founded by Lars Langhout and Professor Dr. Jeroen Hugenholtz in 2021, is revolutionizing the food industry with their innovative and sustainable oil alternatives. Tackling the environmental and supply chain issues associated with conventional palm oil, NoPalm Ingredients is making significant strides in creating a more sustainable food system.

NoPalm Ingredients has recently secured substantial funding to accelerate its mission. The investments come from renowned entities such as Rubio Impact Ventures, Fairtree Elevant Ventures, and Oost NL’s Innovatie- en Energiefonds Gelderland. This financial boost is set to propel NoPalm Ingredients into the industrial scale-up phase, aiming to produce hundreds of kilograms of oil for customer testing.

“Palm oil is cheap, incredibly versatile and widely used in almost every fast-moving consumer good, from your toothpaste to my newborn’s infant formula. The problem is that global demand for palm oil grows by 4% annually, and there’s no strategy to meet the additional 22 million tons needed by 2030 without clearing rainforests 1.5 times the size of Ireland. With new regulations banning deforestation-related products, European companies can only source sustainably certified palm oil, which excludes 83% of current supplies. This will drive price increases that will affect every family in Europe. Often, the answer isn’t to prohibit a product but to step back and create a superior alternative that naturally compels a switch. This funding is pivotal for us to demonstrate large-scale production and solidify our role as a trusted partner in the food and personal care industries. We are on track for industrialization and commercialization in 2025.” – Lars Langhout, CEO & Co-founder of NoPalm Ingredients

A Step Towards Sustainability

Palm oil is found in 60% of supermarket products, making it a ubiquitous ingredient in our daily lives. However, the environmental impact of palm oil production, including deforestation and loss of biodiversity, has been a growing concern. NoPalm Ingredients addresses these challenges by developing a sustainable alternative through advanced fermentation technology.

Since their pre-seed round in 2022, NoPalm Ingredients has developed an in-house pilot line capable of producing kilograms of oil per batch. They have also completed several pilot projects with industry giants such as Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, and Zeelandia. These collaborations have provided valuable insights and data, enabling NoPalm Ingredients to refine their product and process.

The next big step for NoPalm Ingredients is to move into industrial scale-up trials. This phase will see the production of hundreds of kilograms of oil for customer testing, marking a significant milestone in their journey towards transforming the palm oil industry.

Our FoodTech Data Navigator tracks 42 startups operating in the field of fat analogs across the supply chain. The majority of alt-fats companies are developing fermentation-derived, cultivated-derived and upcycled fats. Among these, 15 companies have been featured in the FoodTech500 across all editions. Since 2018, there has been a significant increase in capital with a 38.7% CAGR, and H1 2024 already surpassing 2023 investments. 

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