Terra Oleo, a biotech company from Singapore, announced on Thursday that it has come out of stealth mode. The company raised $3.1 million from investors and is also supported by the well-known Breakthrough Energy Fellows Program.
As part of this highly selective global initiative, Terra Oleo is advancing microbial technology to create sustainable alternatives to palm oil derivatives and cocoa butter for use in personal care, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food, the firm said in a statement.
Palm oil and cocoa supply chains are under pressure from climate change, strict regulations, and limited land. In 2024, global cocoa stocks fell by 26%, sending prices to record highs. Palm oil exports also dropped by 5.83% while demand kept rising. These issues are making costs higher and supply less reliable so producers and consumer goods companies urgently need new alternatives.
Terra Oleo has built a platform that uses precision fermentation to turn agricultural waste into sustainable palm oil ingredients and cocoa butter alternatives. Their technology avoids energy-heavy refining and harmful byproducts while also creating custom lipid profiles for food, cosmetics, and other industries. Because it overcomes the limits of natural microbes, it is cheaper to run and easier to bring to market than other solutions. At full scale, it could cut up to 900 million tons of CO₂ emissions each year, helping decarbonize industries like food, personal care, and pharmaceuticals.
The company has already partnered with global and regional leaders in oleochemicals, food, and cosmetics for product testing. With demand growing, Terra Oleo is preparing to move from lab development to market-ready products. So far, it has raised $3.1 million from investors including ADB Ventures, The Radical Fund, Elev8.vc, Better Bite Ventures, and a major palm oil industry investor. Terra Oleo was co-founded by Shen Ming Lee, Boon Uranukul, PhD, and Min Hao Wong, PhD, who bring together expertise in science, industry, and strategy.
“We founded Terra Oleo to reinvent how we produce the fats and oils that power our everyday lives,
“With support from the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program and our incredible investors, we are deeply honored and excited to bring sustainable, scalable alternatives to market and collaborate with partners to decarbonize palm oil and cocoa,” said Shen Ming Lee, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Terra Oleo.
Terra Oleo has been chosen to join Breakthrough Energy’s 2025 Fellows Program, which backs early-stage innovators creating technologies that can cut greenhouse gas emissions on a massive scale.
With this support, the company will move from lab development to pilot production while continuing to test and validate its products with customers.
“We’re honored to have the opportunity to work with talented founders who are tackling the most difficult climate and energy challenges around the world,” said Ashley Gross, vice president of Breakthrough Energy.
As Terra Oleo moves into its next phase, the company invites potential partners in the oleochemicals and specialty fats industry to collaborate—whether by sampling its ingredients or co-developing customized, sustainable lipids that deliver high performance.
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