Lypid

Founded in 2020, Lypid develops plant-based designer fats for use in alternative meat. The startup uses micro-encapsulation tech to develop its flagship product, “PhytoFat.” The technology works with a variety of vegan oils, including sunflower and olive oil, creating emulsions with ingredients certified as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS). This process helps to mimic animal fats in terms of texture and flavor while preventing oil leakage during cooking. Lypid claimed that PhytoFat had a clean label and its melting point could go up to 400 °F, making it usable in several plant-based meats including ground meat, meatballs, bacon, and salami.

In March 2023 , Lypid debuted its plant-based pork belly made from its patented PhytoFat. The company has combined its patented PhytoFat with a unique fibrous protein alternative to create the pork belly product. Several Bay Area chefs have begun testing the plant-based pork belly to introduce the product to menus soon.  In May 2023 , Lipid launched PhytoFat into the US B2B market, making it available for food service providers, retailers, and restaurants.

Key partnerships

In December 2021, Lypid partnered with Thai meat producer CP Foods to develop vegan fat. In August 2022 , the company partnered with Taiwan's largest coffee chain Louisa Coffee to offer a new range of plant-based burgers made using PhytoFat. Following the collaboration, Lypid expressed its intention to expand to additional sales and market channels over the following year by continuing to introduce new dishes featuring PhytoFat via collaborations.

Funding and financials

In March 2022, the company raised USD 4 million in seed funding led by Green Generation Fund to commercialize “PhytoFat” and to support its long-term goal of producing 10 tons of fat annually.