Savor partners with AAK to accelerate commercialization of carbon-derived fats

Savor has signed a two-year strategic collaboration agreement with specialty fats and oils company AAK to jointly develop and commercialize new fat-based ingredients for dairy alternatives and bakery applications, marking a significant step in the commercialization of its carbon-derived fat technology.

• Savor and AAK have signed a two-year strategic collaboration focused on dairy alternatives and bakery applications.
• AAK has also made an equity investment in Savor as part of the agreement.
• The partners will initially target customers across the US and Europe with new specialty fat solutions.

The partnership combines Savor's Carbon Crafted platform, which produces fats directly from carbon rather than agricultural feedstocks, with AAK's expertise in specialty vegetable fats and oils. Together, the companies aim to develop ingredients that offer the functionality required by food manufacturers while improving supply chain resilience and reducing environmental impact.

Alongside the development agreement, AAK has made an equity investment in the California-based company, although financial terms were not disclosed.

The collaboration represents another milestone in Savor's rapid commercialization journey. The San Jose startup attracted widespread attention after emerging from stealth with a platform capable of producing fats from captured carbon dioxide, green hydrogen and methane, positioning the technology as an alternative to both animal- and plant-derived fats.

In March 2025, Savor launched its first commercial product, a butter made entirely without animal or plant ingredients, following self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the USA. The butter has since been introduced through a select group of restaurants and bakeries, including Michelin-starred SingleThread and ONE65 in California, while the company has expanded discussions with multinational food manufacturers interested in tailored fat formulations for a range of applications.

Savor has also commissioned a 25,000ft² pilot production facility in Batavia, Illinois, capable of producing metric tons of fat ingredients to support commercial supply and product development. The company has attracted backing from investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Synthesis Capital, with Bill Gates previously highlighting the platform's potential to reduce agriculture's environmental footprint.

The new partnership with AAK is the company's first major strategic collaboration with a global specialty ingredients supplier and reflects a shift from demonstrating the technology to integrating it into commercial food formulations.

According to Savor, its production process creates fats without the need for conventional agriculture, enabling domestic production that is independent of farmland and traditional agricultural supply chains. The company says the resulting fats could require up to 1,000 times less land and generate up to 98% lower carbon emissions than conventional alternatives.

"AAK is a global leader in plant-based oils and fats, and they bring exactly the formulation expertise and commercial infrastructure we need to scale our impact," said Kathleen Alexander, Co-founder & CEO of Savor. "This collaboration accelerates our path to the large food manufacturers who are actively seeking supply chain resilience and ingredient innovation at scale."

AAK believes combining Savor's carbon-derived fats with its portfolio of plant-based oils will create new ingredient solutions with tailored functionality for manufacturers.

"Savor's technology platform opens a new source of saturated fats, decoupled from agriculture and traditional supply chains, with a strong sustainability profile. In addition, these fats can be designed together with AAK's plant-based oils for a vast array of functionality and solutions," said Kim Olofsson, Global Head of R&D at AAK.

The collaboration will initially focus on dairy alternatives and bakery, two sectors where fats play a central role in delivering texture, mouthfeel and overall product performance. The companies said manufacturers are increasingly seeking ingredients that can provide consistent functionality while reducing exposure to agricultural supply chain volatility.

Savor said its technology can be deployed without the need for fertile land, fertilizers or fresh water, allowing production facilities to be established in a wider range of locations. Combined with AAK's existing portfolio of specialty oils, the companies believe the approach could offer manufacturers more diversified ingredient sourcing and, over time, greater cost stability.

"Food and CPG manufacturers are under real pressure on two fronts simultaneously: supply chain stability and the need to reduce the environmental footprint of key ingredients," said Chiara Cecchini, SVP of Commercialization at Savor. "This collaboration puts a compelling answer to both in front of customers who need it most."

AAK also highlighted the opportunity to improve both sustainability and product quality through the collaboration.

"The unique solutions that are unlocked by the AAK-Savor strategic collaboration address a market need across the food industry. Beyond supply chain resilience and sustainability, we will create applications with great taste and texture for our customers within two very important segments, and in this way, ticking all the boxes and improving the overall consumer experience," said Ronald van der Knaap, Global Head of Dairy, Early Life Nutrition and Savory at AAK.

While the initial focus is on dairy alternatives and bakery, the companies said the technology has broader potential across food categories where specialty fats are essential for functionality. For Savor, the agreement represents another step in moving its carbon-derived fat platform from pilot-scale innovation to commercial ingredient supply through an established global partner.