Time-Travelling Milkman raises €2 million to scale Oleocream as new standard of creaminess

Time-Travelling Milkman (TTM), a food-tech start-up based in Wageningen, the Netherlands, has secured €2 million (US$2.1 million) in Pre-Series A funding to accelerate the commercialization of its flagship ingredient, Oleocream. The raise, announced in September 2025, will support industrial rollout across dairy and plant-based categories and strengthen the company’s push to establish Oleocream as a new benchmark for clean-label creaminess.

The round welcomed two new strategic investors: Sparkalis, the venture arm of bakery and patisserie ingredients group Puratos, and Evercurious, a European venture capital fund focused on deep-tech start-ups tackling global challenges. Long-time backer Oost NL, the regional development agency for East Netherlands, also participated, reinforcing its support for TTM’s mission.

Founded in 2020, TTM has developed a patented process that extracts and preserves oleosomes, the natural oil droplet structures found in sunflower seeds. By maintaining these structures intact, Oleocream mimics the texture and functionality of dairy fat, producing an allergen-free, unsaturated fat ingredient well suited for high-heat, fermentation, and low-acidity applications.

With production scaled to 1,000 tons per year, the company is preparing to meet rising demand. “After years of optimization and scaling, we’re ready to deliver Oleocream at commercial volumes, efficiently, consistently, and affordably,” said Dimitris Karefyllakis, Co-founder and Managing Director of TTM.

The funding will enable TTM to accelerate customer collaborations and expand commercial use, with new product launches expected in the coming months. The company has already conducted several pilot trials and consumer panels, paving the way for applications in cream cheeses, desserts, and hybrid dairy products that reduce reliance on tropical fats and synthetic stabilizers.

Oleocream is positioned as a solution to three persistent challenges facing the dairy sector: rising costs, environmental disruption, and underwhelming consumer experiences with plant-based alternatives. According to TTM, its process is highly scalable, zero-waste, and cost-effective, enabling creaminess at a fraction of the cost of dairy fat while lowering product emissions by more than 80%.

For food manufacturers, the ingredient addresses multiple trends at once: the shift away from tropical fats with unstable pricing and supply chains, consumer demand for less processed and cleaner foods, and the emergence of hybrid dairy products that combine animal and plant-based components. With regulatory frameworks such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) pushing hybridization, TTM says Oleocream is well positioned to help brands deliver indulgence without compromising sustainability goals.

The new funding underscores investor confidence in TTM’s approach. “We are proud to support visionary start-ups like TTM whose disruptive fat ingredient technology is reimagining the future of food,” said Filip Arnaut, Managing Director at Sparkalis. “Their sustainable, plant-based innovation aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate the transition toward a more responsible and resilient food system.”

Evercurious, which specializes in early-stage deep-tech ventures, also backed the round. Based in Athens, the fund invests in start-ups with strong scientific and technical foundations aimed at solving global problems.

Oost NL, which has previously invested in TTM, called the company a success story for the Wageningen-based Foodvalley ecosystem. “For the protein transition to succeed, tasty and delicious dairy alternatives are a necessity,” said Jos Putker, Investment Manager Food at Oost NL. “With Oleocream, TTM has an innovative solution that contributes to more appealing alternatives. We are proud that as Oost NL we can help further accelerate the market introduction.”

One of Oleocream’s key advantages is its clean-label status. The ingredient is free from allergens, tropical oils, and chemical stabilizers, offering food producers a simpler formulation pathway at a time when consumers are increasingly wary of ultra-processed foods. TTM notes that consumer testing has consistently shown positive associations with yeast and plant-derived proteins, making adoption more straightforward for food brands.

By offering both indulgent taste and sustainability benefits, TTM believes Oleocream can help unlock the next generation of hybrid dairy products—foods that blend plant-based and animal-derived ingredients to reduce environmental impact while meeting consumer expectations for taste and texture.

TTM’s progress reflects a broader push within the European food ecosystem to scale sustainable alternatives beyond niche segments. With €2 million in new funding, industrial-scale production in place, and strong backing from investors with sector expertise, the company is positioning itself as a critical enabler for the dairy and plant-based industries.

“Our goal is to redefine creaminess in food,” Karefyllakis said. “Oleocream is not just about replacing fat—it’s about making sustainable products more indulgent, more affordable, and more appealing to consumers worldwide.”