C16 Biosciences uses innovative processes found in nature to brew sustainable alternatives to palm oil.
Palm oil is everywhere: it’s in our food, clothes, shampoo, and even the fuel that powers our cars. But this $61 billion industry has drastic environmental and societal costs: rainforests from Costa Rica to Indonesia are destroyed to make way for oil palm tree plantations, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroying habitats for people and endangered wildlife along the way.
But palm oil doesn't have to be a problem. There remains an urgent need for consumers and companies alike to switch to environmentally conscious, sustainable palm oil products.
C16 was founded with the objective of creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to conflict palm oil. By offering producers, refiners, traders and consumers of palm oil an opportunity to invest part of their production into bio-based oils and sustainability efforts, our aim is to reduce the environmental footprint of palm oil production and protect precious natural land, wildlife, and resources in the process.
We've developed technology to brew a sustainable alternative to palm oil from microbes.
Fermentation is a well-proven commercial process that has been used for centuries to convert raw materials into consumable commercial products consumed by billions of people every day. We believe that brewing palm oil like beer is the best and most likely path to developing a truly sustainable palm oil alternative.
Our palm oil is sustainable -- it doesn't involve deforestation, endangering precious animal species, or forcing inhumane labor practices. The result is a world where consumers can enjoy the products they love without worrying about the dangerous practices involved in making them.
Palm oil is everywhere: it’s in our food, clothes, shampoo, and even the fuel that powers our cars. But this $61 billion industry has drastic environmental and societal costs: rainforests from Costa Rica to Indonesia are destroyed to make way for oil palm tree plantations, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroying habitats for people and endangered wildlife along the way.
But palm oil doesn't have to be a problem. There remains an urgent need for consumers and companies alike to switch to environmentally conscious, sustainable palm oil products.
C16 was founded with the objective of creating a sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to conflict palm oil. By offering producers, refiners, traders and consumers of palm oil an opportunity to invest part of their production into bio-based oils and sustainability efforts, our aim is to reduce the environmental footprint of palm oil production and protect precious natural land, wildlife, and resources in the process.
We've developed technology to brew a sustainable alternative to palm oil from microbes.
Fermentation is a well-proven commercial process that has been used for centuries to convert raw materials into consumable commercial products consumed by billions of people every day. We believe that brewing palm oil like beer is the best and most likely path to developing a truly sustainable palm oil alternative.
Our palm oil is sustainable -- it doesn't involve deforestation, endangering precious animal species, or forcing inhumane labor practices. The result is a world where consumers can enjoy the products they love without worrying about the dangerous practices involved in making them.
Location: United States, New York
Employees: 11-50
Total raised: $24.5M
Founded date: 2018
Investors 16
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Funding Rounds 2
| Date | Series | Amount | Investors |
| 26.01.2024 | Grant | $4.5M | - |
| 03.03.2020 | Series A | $20M | - |
Mentions in press and media 33
| Date | Title | Description |
| 28.08.2026 | Äio, TFTAK Get $2.6M from Estonian Govt to Enhance Waste-Fermented Yeast Fat Production | 5 Mins Read The Estonian government has pumped nearly €2M in funding for Äio and TFTAK to build a digital biomanufacturing platform that can turn food and wood industry waste into planet-friendly fats. Estonian biotech company Äio and appli... |
| 04.08.2026 | C16 Biosciences Unveils Precision-Fermented Cocoa Butter & Expands Beauty Portfolio | 4 Mins Read US startup C16 Biosciences has launched its first food ingredient, a precision-fermented cocoa butter, while expanding its portfolio of yeast-derived fats for the beauty industry. After making waves in the beauty and personal ca... |
| 17.07.2026 | Melt&Marble Launches Precision-Fermented ‘Designer Fat’ for Beauty & Personal Care | 4 Mins Read Swedish precision fermentation startup Melt&Marble has debuted Marble7, its animal-free “designer fat” for the beauty and personal care sector. Months after securing clearance for the global sale of its precision-fermented f... |
| 09.04.2025 | How This Animal-Free ‘Designer’ Fat Maker Is Reshaping Future Food Economics | 6 Mins Read Australian firm Nourish Ingredients has completed an industrial-scale production of its animal-free, meat-like fat while keeping costs low – here’s how it’s doing it. Six months after forming a partnership with Chinese fermentat... |
| 31.03.2025 | Clean Body, Clean Planet: Colgate-Palmolive Taps Palm Oil Alternative for Fermented Soap Bar | 4 Mins Read Colgate-Palmolive has teamed up with NoPalm Ingredients to make a sustainable soap bar from a fermentation-derived palm oil alternative. Soon, you could be using soap made from food waste and fermentation. The climate kicker? It... |
| 06.12.2024 | Lypid Kitchen's Vegan Baos: A Culinary Leap at Moana 2 Premiere | In a world where food meets innovation, Lypid Kitchen has made a splash. The Californian food tech startup partnered with Disney to unveil its first retail product, the BBQ Pork Piggy Bao, at the world premiere of Moana 2 in Hawaii. This ev... |
| 05.12.2024 | Vegan Fat Startup & Disney Team Up to Serve ‘Piggy Baos’ at Moana 2 World Premiere | 4 Mins Read Californian food tech startup Lypid has debuted its consumer brand via a partnership with Disney, serving vegan pork baos at the Moana 2 premiere in Hawai’i. At the world premiere of Disney’s latest record-breaking film, Moana 2... |
| 15.11.2024 | Aussie Startup Inks Deal to Make & Distribute Animal-Free Fat in China | 4 Mins Read Canberra-based Nourish Ingredients has partnered with Chinese fermentation specialist Cabio Biotech to produce and distribute its precision-fermented fat alternative. Highlighting American fears of falling behind China in the bi... |
| 20.10.2024 | The Rise of AgriFoodTech: A New Era of Sustainable Innovation | The world of AgriFoodTech is buzzing. It’s a landscape ripe with innovation, where sustainability meets technology. Companies are racing to transform how we produce and consume food. This week, the headlines overflowed with exciting develop... |
| 16.10.2024 | Liberation Labs to Advance Precision Fermentation Facility with $3.5M Fundraise | US biomanufacturing company Liberation Labs has raised $3.5 million via a Secured Promissory Note (“Note”), including a $2.0 million subscription from the VC firm Agronomics Limited (LSE: ANIC). With this note, Agronomics’ total investment ... |
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