MicroLub, an ingredient startup spun out from the University of Leeds, has landed £7.5 million in funding led by Northern Gritstone. All of MicroLub's existing investors joined the round, including NPIF II - PXN Equity Finance, which PXN Ventures manages as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
Instead of swapping fat for starches, gums or alternative fats, MicroLub's patented protein-based ingredient technology uses water to replicate the lubrication fat provides. With it, manufacturers can reduce fat and calorie content by up to 75% while keeping the sensory experience consumers demand. In many applications, the technology can also raise protein content and shorten the ingredients list by removing emulsifiers and thickeners, which consumers are increasingly rejecting.
Food manufacturers face growing pressure to improve the nutritional profile of their products, as tighter regulation and changing eating habits drive reformulation across food categories. Widespread adoption of GLP-1 weight-loss medicines is speeding up this shift, with consumers increasingly looking for higher-protein, lower-calorie foods. Reducing fat, increasing protein or developing plant-based alternatives often compromises taste, texture and mouthfeel, which limits repeat purchases.
Professor Anwesha Sarkar of the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds founded the business. Since then, MicroLub has moved from lab-scale to industrial-scale manufacturing and now works with some of the world's largest food and ingredient companies. The startup still works closely with the University of Leeds and uses its research facilities, while also running its own food innovation laboratory at Nexus in Leeds.
The investment will fund team growth, faster expansion into the US and Asian markets, and the conversion of existing customer trials into commercial agreements. It will also support further development of MicroLub's proprietary ingredient technology.
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 supports our international scale-up, team growth, and getting MicroLub powered on shelves very soon.
MicroLub is addressing one of the food industry's biggest scientific and commercial challenges. Its proprietary technology enables manufacturers to reformulate products in response to changing consumer expectations without compromising the sensory experience that drives purchasing decisions. Since emerging from the University of Leeds, the company has made exceptional progress, scaling its technology and attracting interest from global food manufacturers. 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.
