MicroLub, a spinout from the University of Leeds, has closed a $10 million funding round led by Northern Gritstone. The investor contributed £4 million of the £7 million total raised. Every investor from the company’s previous round participated, including NPIF II, managed by PXN Ventures under the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
The capital will fund MicroLub’s expansion into the US and Asian markets. It will also support new hires and help convert ongoing customer trials into commercial supply agreements.
MicroLub’s biotechnology centers on a protein-based ingredient system that mimics the lubricating behavior of fat using water instead. Protein microgels are coated with polysaccharides in calibrated ratios. The company says this bioengineered structure lets manufacturers cut fat and calorie content by up to 75% without a noticeable change in texture or mouthfeel.
Northern Gritstone CEO Duncan Johnson said MicroLub’s proprietary biotech addresses one of the food industry’s biggest scientific and commercial challenges, allowing manufacturers to reformulate products without sacrificing sensory quality.
The company’s founding bioscience research showed that converting plant proteins into physically cross-linked microgels reduced boundary friction significantly compared to native protein, matching the performance of an oil-in-water emulsion. The platform works across multiple bio-based protein sources, including pea, soy, oat, fava bean and almond.
MicroLub was incorporated in 2023 to commercialize research by Professor Anwesha Sarkar, founder and CTO, who also co-directs the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre at Leeds. The company previously raised a £3.5 million seed round in 2024, also led by Northern Gritstone, and now operates its own food biotech innovation lab in Leeds.
CEO David Peters said the new investment supports international scale-up, team growth and bringing MicroLub’s technology to market.
The post MicroLub secures $10M to scale fat-replacement biotech appeared first on World Bio Market Insights.
