Fat gives food its creaminess, which is why reformulating it out usually ruins the eating experience. A University of Leeds spinout has raised $10M on the claim that it can replace that lubrication with water instead.
MicroLub’s answer is a patented protein-based ingredient that copies the way fat lubricates a product. Manufacturers can strip out up to 75% of the fat and calories while taste and texture hold. Starches, gums and alternative fats are the usual substitutes; MicroLub instead leans on a micro-lubricant particle, which makes food feel rich on far less fat. Protein content can rise, and the ingredient list shortens as emulsifiers and thickeners come out.
Northern Gritstone led the round, with all existing investors participating, including NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance, managed by PXN Ventures under the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
The timing is not accidental. Nutrition rules are tightening, diets are shifting, and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have pushed shoppers toward higher-protein, lower-calorie products. For large brands, reformulation has become a defensive necessity – and the industry’s running problem has been that the healthier version rarely earns a second purchase.
MicroLub, founded in 2023 by professor Anwesha Sarkar, will use the money to hire, convert customer trials into commercial agreements and push into US and Asian markets. It still works closely with Leeds while running its own food innovation lab.
The manufacturers it is working with remain unnamed, which leaves the central question open: whether a lab-proven lubricant survives at factory scale.
