Foodtech startup Gavan Technologies has raised USD $8m in A-round funds to commercialise its plant-based fat solution, Fatrix.
The product is designed as a clean-label fat substitute for animal-based products such as butter, and is suitable for incorporation into a range of functional foods and dairy alternatives.
This round of funding was lead primarily by MoreVC, with Lever VC, EIT Food and DarkBoot Group also contributing.
The funds accrued will be used by Gavan to open a new pilot production facility — which will likely begin operations in April 2025.
To find out more about the European facility and how Fatrix can benefit the functional food industry, NBR spoke with Itai Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Gavan Technologies.
Catering to the growing demand for plant-based
In the modern world, consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of what they eat, with many focusing on not only the ‘healthiness’ of a food product, but also what extra benefits it can offer them.
Therefore, functional foods formulated with clean-label and plant-based ingredients have been growing in popularity, as the public can easily bolster their nutritional intake without giving up the foods they love.
“Plant-based fats are often lower in saturates and cholesterol-free,” states Itai, “making them ideal for health conscious consumers.”
“By utilising renewable plant sources in the formulation process, food manufacturers can cater to the growing public demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly products.”
To enhance the functional properties of Fatrix, Gavan has developed a way to combine vegetable oil and water together with a protein isolate — which behaves as a binder, while also boosting the product's nutritional benefits.
Flexibility is key
According to Itai, another benefit of utilising plant-based fats is their wide application potential:
“Plant-based fats can be tailored to produce the desirable texture, melting point and flavour in a specific food product,” he notes.
“By making minor alterations to a plant-based fat, it can be used in a number of different food applications, including bakery and confectionery products, as well as dairy alternatives.
Notably, Fatrix can be incorporated into products as a butter replacement at a 1:1 ratio with a similar texture and mouthfeel.
“Fatrix is also highly resistant to both hot and cold processing conditions, meaning that it’s compatible with standard processing equipment.” Says Itai.
Nutritional but indulgent
Although Fatrix is marketed as a ‘healthier’ alternative to butter, it was also developed with indulgence in mind.
“With Fatrix, we wanted to enhance the nutritional profile of food products that traditionally contain butter, but we didn’t want to sacrifice the textures and flavours that make butter-based products so enjoyable.”
The product, according to Gavan, may also lower the calorie content of a food product, providing a lighter alternative to butter-based products.
It also contains no cholesterol and 80% less saturated fat than butter — with vegetable oil, water and a protein isolate being the only ingredients in this plant-based solution.
“Fat plays an essential role in the creation of almost all foods. It gives depth to flavours, elevates textures and enhances the dining experience in general,” adds Rony Patishi- Chillim, of MoreVC.
“The food industry is in need of a plant-based fat that can provide the same indulgent flavor and mouthfeel as butter, while supporting sustainability and personal well-being. Gavan’s unique fat creation platform is market-ready and has the potential to make a truly meaningful contribution to the USD253B fats and oils market.”
[Image credit: Nimrod Saunders]