MicroLub: Leeds firm letting consumers ’have their cake and eat it’ to double workforce after £7.5m investment
A food technology company aiming to support healthier eating is set to double its workforce and expand into new international markets following a £7.5 million investment boost.
Founded by Professor Anwesha Sarkar from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds, MicroLub is developing patented ingredient technology designed to reduce fat and calorie content in food while maintaining the “mouthfeel” that consumers expect.
The investment, led by Northern Gritstone, will support the next stage of MicroLub’s growth, including more than doubling its headcount over the next 18 months and accelerating its expansion into the US and Asian markets.
David Peters, CEO of MicroLub said: “For too long, consumers have had to choose between food products that taste great, but are unhealthy, and those that are nutritious but compromise on the eating experience. With MicroLub’s technology that’s no longer the case - they can now literally have their cake and eat it.
“Our technology enables manufacturers to reduce fat, increase protein and simplify ingredient lists while delivering the indulgent mouthfeel and texture consumers expect.
“This investment allows us to scale our technology internationally, grow our team and enable our customers to put products made with MicroLub’s technology on shelves very soon.”
Food manufacturers are under growing pressure to improve the nutritional profile of their products. Tighter regulation, changing eating habits and the widespread adoption of GLP-1 weight-loss medicines is accelerating this shift, with consumers increasingly seeking higher-protein, lower-calorie foods.
MicroLub’s technology uses protein and water to replicate the role that fat plays in food.
The company said that in some applications, the technology can reduce fat and calorie content by up to 75 per cent, while also increasing protein levels and reducing the need for emulsifiers and thickeners.
Since launch, MicroLub has progressed from pilot production to industrial-scale manufacturing and is now working with some of the world's largest food and ingredient companies.
Northern Gritstone is an investment company dedicated to supporting science and technology businesses in the North of England. All of MicroLub's existing investors also participated in the new investment round, including PXN Group and Italian deeptech investor LIFTT.
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “MicroLub is addressing one of the food industry's biggest scientific and commercial challenges. This is exactly the kind of world-class university spinout Northern Gritstone was created to support, and we're excited to back the team as they build what we believe can become a globally significant ingredient technology company."