The Finnish food-tech company, which has been focused on healthy and functional fat alternatives since its launch in 2023, has developed what it describes as a ‘breakthrough’ alternative to traditional fats like butter, palm oil, and coconut oil.
At the company’s core is a proprietary oleogel technology that transforms liquid vegetable oils into solid fats with the same functionality as saturated fats. By applying material physics principles to food science, Perfat Technologies has developed what it says is the ‘world’s first fibre-reinforced gelled vegetable oil’.
Solving unhealthy fats
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that adults should limit total fat intake to 30% of total energy intake or less per day.
By reducing fat intake to less than 30%, WHO says consumers can prevent unhealthy weight gain. Moreover, the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, will be lowered by reducing saturated fats to less than 10% of total energy intake, trans-fats to less than 1% of total energy intake, and replacing both with unsaturated fats.
The Perfat alternative is designed to enable manufacturers to replace unhealthy fats across a range of food applications without compromising taste or performance. It is said to contain 80% less fat and up to 30% fewer calories, alongside added fibres.
Scaling up
With the demand for healthier, cleaner, more eco-friendly products rising and the Business Research Company estimating the market for sustainable and functional ingredients to reach $129 billion in 2025, Perfat is positioning itself as a next-generation alternative to conventional fats, aligning to current hot trends.
The €2.5 million (around £2.1 million) will go towards scaling up its production, growing its team and launching its healthy lipid-based solutions.
The round was co-led by Newtree Impact and Beyond Impact, with continued participation from Nordic Science Investments, University of Helsinki Funds, and Big Idea Ventures, Perfat has secured €2.5 million.
“This financing marks a major milestone in our journey. We aim to grow rapidly, transform the food industry, and create a healthier future for millions of consumers worldwide. For us, substituting traditional solid fats is not just about innovation, it’s about caring for people’s health, helping manufacturers adopt sustainable solutions, and reshaping the way the world thinks about fats,” commented Jyrki Lee-Korhonen, CEO of Perfat Technologies.
Sagar Tandon, partner at investor Beyond Impact, said he is “highly impressed by Perfat’s ability to produce tailor-made solid functional fats”.
“Their platform offers a kinder, cleaner, and healthier alternative to dairy and other animal-derived fats – holding the potential to redefine the role of functional fats in our diets,” he continued.
Perfat Technologies has been identified as one of EIT Food’s ‘Rising Food Stars’ – a programme that identifies the “most promising” aspiring Agrifood and FoodTech scale-ups and boosts their chances of business success.
