Perfat Technologies CEO: Substituting traditional solid fats with healthy lipid-based solutions

Finnish start-up Perfat Technologies has raised €2.5 million (US$3 million) in Series A financing to scale its fat alternative, which transforms liquid vegetable oils into solid, functional fats. The company is poised to bring to market the fiber-reinforced gelled vegetable oil, developed with 80% less fat, 30% fewer calories, and added fiber, positioning it as a disruptor in the saturated and tropical fats space.

Perfat Technologies aims to address the global problem of unhealthy fats in consumer diets by launching healthy lipid-based solutions that do not compromise taste and texture and maintain functionality and flavor.

By targeting healthy fats, the company wants to offer alternative solutions to saturated fats, which are linked to health risks such as cardiovascular diseases. 

The company’s proprietary oleogel technology transforms liquid vegetable oils into solid fats with the same functionality as saturated fats. By applying material physics principles to food science, Perfat says it has developed the “world’s first fiber-reinforced gelled vegetable oil, offering a breakthrough alternative to traditional fats like butter, palm oil, and coconut oil.” 

It allows manufacturers to replace unhealthy fats across a wide range of food applications, and is market-ready, with no additional
regulatory hurdles, positioning the company to scale rapidly.

Replicating the versatility of fats

Jyrki Lee-Korhonen, CEO and co-founder of Perfat Technologies, speaks to Food Ingredients First about how the innovation fills a critical gap for food manufacturers seeking clean label, healthier formulations at scale. 

“Our philosophy has all along been to deliver better nutrition, without having to compromise on taste and texture. We have been able to demonstrate that this concept works across a broad range of food applications.”

“The edible solid fats market is estimated to be worth more than US$100 billion per year, so we are talking about a huge market. We see great opportunities across bakery, confectionery, and plant-based dairy. Some of the first applications could be within bakery fillings and different types of spreads.” 

Replacing palm oil?

Lee-Korhonen highlights how the Perfat solution delivers an 80% reduction in saturated fats compared to conventional fats and contains healthy dietary fibers, allowing food producers to see a significant improvement in the nutritional profile of their products. 

“It is true that palm oil is a very functional and versatile product. At the same time, we have already proven our ability to replace palm oil in many bakery and other products. Our solution is not meant to be used for frying, as one might as well use just a normal liquid oil, as there is no point in providing a solid structure to something that is already healthy and works in liquid form.” 

“Typically, the reduction in saturated fats is around 80% and 15-30% in calories. In addition, our fat contains about 30% dietary fibers, which are known to provide multiple health benefits, e.g., for gut health. In combination, the improvement in the nutritional profile of a product can be substantial. For example, on a Nutri-Score rating, the improvement can be even two notches, which makes a huge difference in the appeal of the product.” 

The technology 

Perfat’s proprietary oleogel technology transforms liquid vegetable oils into solid fats with the same functionality as saturated fats.The start-up’s technology gives healthy vegetable oils, which are low in saturated fats and liquid at room temperature, the structure of a solid fat without altering the fatty acid profile of the underlying oil. 

“We do this by combining fiber particles that contain encapsulated oil with another oleogel and then putting these two parts together in a process that forms the desired structure,” Lee-Korhonen continues.

“It is good to point out that we are replacing not only tropical fats but also animal fats that have much higher emissions than tropical oils. Furthermore, replacement of palm oil and coconut oil is not only a question of emissions but also about protecting biodiversity. Now that we have more data on our production process and are moving toward industrial production, we will be carrying out a life-cycle assessment.”

Lee-Korhonen concludes that the company will use the funding to launch commercial production, build the team, and expand its customer base, particularly in the distributor and ingredient segment.

This round of funding was co-led by Newtree Impact and Beyond Impact, with participation from Nordic Science Investments, University of Helsinki Funds, and Big Idea Ventures.