Checkerspot

Checkerspot was founded in 2016 to apply biotechnology to nature’s molecular building blocks, and works from Alameda, California, on high-performance fats and oils that are not easily or sustainably sourced from nature. The tool is precision fermentation, which the company uses to design triglycerides and fatty acids and bring them to market for food, nutrition and other applications.

The company is a public benefit corporation and holds a portfolio of patents on triglyceride oil and fatty acid compositions, covering strain improvement, fermentation and the chemistry of the oils themselves. Its team combines molecular biology with consumer product experience, John Krzywicki is CEO, and the argument behind the work is that fats and oils designed at molecular level can reach materials and products beyond nutrition.