Singaporean startup ImpacFat has secured fresh financing to fuel its Asian commercialisation plans for cultivated omega-3 fish fat.
ImpacFat, a Singapore-based biotech firm producing fish fats from cell cultures, has expanded into Japan and raised new capital to launch the ingredient into cosmetic formulations next year.
The startup has received investment from Japanese packaging giant Toyo Seikan Group, Singaporean VC firm 144 Ventures, and Lin Xiangliang, the CEO of Esco Aster (which operates the world’s first regulator-approved contract manufacturing facility for cultivated meat).
The seed funding round is in its final stages as the company negotiates with a potential lead investor, so for now, the sum is undisclosed.
“We believe that ImpacFat’s development of functional ingredients derived from fish fat cells, rich in nutrients such as DHA and EPA, can meet the rising global awareness of food security and the growing demand for healthy and delicious food,” said Toyo Seikan president Takuji Nakamura.
“Toyo Seikan Group will leverage its core technologies in sterilisation and moisture/gas barrier to build, together with ImpacFat, a value chain that maximises the potential of cell-cultured fish fat.”
ImpacFat targets cosmetics debut with cultivated fish fat
Founded in 2019 by CEO Mandy Hon and Shigeki Sugii, ImpacFat’s technology is based on extensive research published by the latter, a stem cell biologist and principal investigator at Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star).
The startup makes cell-based fish fat high in omega-3 fatty acids. “[We] focus on wellness as a whole, which includes skincare, omega-3 supplements and alternative foods [like] plant-based meat [and] cultivated meat,” Hon tells Green Queen.
ImpacFat isolates cells from premium fish species like eels and pangasius catfish, developing cell lines that help them proliferate in controlled environments in bioreactors. These mature into healthy fat cells, which are then harvested.
The resulting ingredient is high in unsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, it outperforms wild-caught bluefin tuna on omega-3 levels.
“We are focusing on selling our omega-3 cultivated fish fat as an ‘ingredient’, and making hybrid products for foodservice and retail,” explains Hon, highlighting the B2B model. “For alternative food, we are currently working with many close partners, which include Toyo Seikan Group, Esco Aster Singapore, Fuji Oil, etc.”
Its current production capacity involves five-litre bioreactors, and the firm is in the middle of expanding to a 10- to 50-litre scale. “We are also working with contract manufacturing partners in scaling up,” she says.
ImpacFat’s first foray into the market will come in the personal care industry. The startup is working on stem-cell conditioned media and exosome-based active ingredients for skin rejuvenation, anti-oxidation, and anti-ageing formulations. It is targeting a 2026 rollout in Singapore and South Korea’s cosmetics markets.
“We will also be looking for product development and commercialisation of skincare products in Japan in 2026, [and] subsequently food and supplements,” says Hon.
Cultivated meat and pet food products are already in the works
ImpacFat’s ingredient adds a rich, savoury profile to seafood alternatives, delivering the taste and mouthfeel consumers often find missing in these innovations, and boosting the omega-3 content (a key pain point for these products).
Singapore is its first market for food applications, given that Japan is still in the process of developing its regulatory guidelines. ImpacFat submitted its novel food dossier to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) in December 2024. “We are currently going through the review process with the SFA closely,” says Hon.
But any launch for human food and omega-3 supplements is, for now, earmarked for 2027. It’s gunning for a 2026-27 launch in the pet food arena, offering safer products free from microplastics, mercury and other marine pollutants. ImpacFat has signed an MoU for pet food product development and manufacturing.
The startup was inspired by Singapore’s 30 by 30 target, which aimed to produce 30% of the city-state’s food supply locally (currently, over 90% is imported). ImpacFat’s foray into Japan will contribute to its food security goals too, tapping into what the firm labels “one of the world’s most sophisticated markets for seafood and health supplements”.
By setting up research and operational infrastructure within Tokyo, it’s looking to work closely with local partners, researchers, and ecosystem players and speed up the adoption of cell-cultured tech in Japan.
ImpacFat will use the funds to scale up production, expand applications, and accelerate its market entry plans. “In 2026, we have a couple of R&D [projects] together with various key partners, including upcoming plans for cultivated fish fat scale-up, [… and] product development with plant-based meat,” says Hon.
It is one of several startups developing cell-cultured fats. California’s Mission Barns is already selling its cultivated pork fat in the US, while Dutch firm Mosa Meat is awaiting approval for its beef fat in various European markets. In Singapore, Ants Innovate showcased Cell Essence, a cultivated pork oil for hybrid meats, in a private tasting last year.
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