A San Jose startup is reimagining butter by creating a unique dairy-free alternative — made not from plants, but carbon. Savor Foods, co-founded by CEO Kathleen Alexander and Ian McKay, is pioneering a plant-free, vegan butter that skips vegetable oils altogether. Instead, the company transforms a carbon-based byproduct into a new culinary fat designed to rival traditional butter in taste and texture.
Butter substitutes date back to 1869 when a French chemist created margarine from beef tallow. Over time, plant-based oils took over the market, leading to modern spreads that often fall short in flavor and functionality. Now, Savor Foods is pushing the boundaries further by eliminating plants and animal products, turning carbon into a versatile fat.
Launched in 2022 out of Orca Sciences — the sustainability incubator the founders created — Savor Foods developed an innovative method inspired by ancient earth chemistry. Alexander explained that 3.5 billion years ago, before life as we know it existed, hot hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen interacted deep in the ocean under intense pressure. These conditions created the first organic molecules, including fatty acids. Savor replicates this process in a modern, controlled environment to craft its carbon-based fat.
The startup sources a food-safe byproduct from carbon capture processes. This material, which arrives as a waxy substance, undergoes additional processing to produce culinary fats. These can be used as cooking oils or transformed into butter-like spreads. Alexander noted that this method offers flexibility, allowing the team to create various types of fats tailored for different uses. However, butter was the ideal starting point due to its widespread familiarity and demand.
“People know and love butter. It’s part of everyday life, from toast to baking,” Alexander said. “Our butter delivers that same creamy texture and rich taste — and in many ways, it outperforms existing non-dairy butters on the market.”
Savor’s butter is not only spreadable but also robust enough for complex culinary tasks like French baking. The startup showcased its product during tasting events in San Francisco and New York earlier this month. Attendees sampled an array of dishes — from popcorn, pani puri, and spaetzle to tartlets and asparagus tarts — all prepared with Savor’s butter. Bread and crudités were also served for dipping into the smooth, golden spread.
Sweet creations like crispy waffles with maple syrup and a decadent chocolate tart with salted caramel proved that the butter’s performance extends to desserts. According to those who tasted it, Savor’s butter mimics the flavor and mouthfeel of dairy butter so well it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference.
Alexander emphasized that the team focused on replicating butter’s functionality rather than copying the exact molecular structure of milk fat. “At the molecular level, our product shares more in common with milk fat than margarine,” she explained. “But what truly matters is how it performs — and that’s where we’ve nailed it.”
Unlike many startups targeting direct-to-consumer sales, Savor Foods plans to operate as an ingredient supplier. The company will partner with chefs, restaurants, and food manufacturers looking for sustainable, high-performance fat alternatives.
Savor has already attracted significant investor interest, raising $33 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, backed by Bill Gates, and Synthesis Capital. With a 27-member team spread between the Bay Area and a 25,000-square-foot production facility in Batavia, Illinois, Savor is now focused on scaling up.
Over the next year, the company aims to secure additional funding, increase production capacity, and expand its presence through culinary events nationwide. These tasting experiences will allow chefs, bakers, and food lovers to experience firsthand the potential of carbon-made butter.
Savor’s first customers include acclaimed establishments such as SingleThread in Healdsburg and San Francisco’s One65 and Jane the Bakery. Expect to see the butter used in artisanal breads, pastries, and chocolate creations — all crafted without dairy, plants, or palm oil.
By offering a sustainable alternative that sidesteps traditional agriculture’s heavy environmental toll, Savor Foods is positioning itself at the forefront of food innovation. Its carbon-based butter could reshape the way chefs and consumers think about fats — proving that even butter can be redefined.
