The daughter of a palm oil producer is turning her family's legacy on its head — using microbes to make the kinds of oils that once required massive plantations.
Shen Ming Lee, co-founder of Terra Oleo, grew up around the palm oil industry — one of the biggest drivers of deforestation worldwide.
"I grew up in the conventional palm oil industry," she told TechCrunch. "I grew up … ashamed."
Determined to change that story, Lee teamed up with co-founder Boon Uranukul to reimagine how everyday oils could be made — not harvested.
Their solution? Microscopic oil producers. The startup engineers special microbes that "eat" organic waste like food scraps or agricultural byproducts and then naturally produce oils, fats, and triglycerides — the same core ingredients found in palm oil. In other words, Terra Oleo is teaching nature's tiniest workers to do the job of vast plantations, without chopping down a single tree.
Palm oil is one of the world's most in-demand commodities, but its production has fueled deforestation, threatened species like orangutans, and released tons of carbon pollution. Replacing it with lab-grown alternatives could slash waste, protect habitats, and reduce costs for industries that rely on these oils every day — from food to cosmetics to cleaning products.
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"I really had this desire to build something that was maybe going to build on my family's legacy, but in a way that was more in line with my values," Lee explained.
Beyond deforestation, palm oil production drives another waste problem — plastic. The oils appear in thousands of packaged products, from snack foods to shampoos, many of which rely on single-use plastics that end up polluting land and oceans.
Brewing oils close to home, rather than hauling them across oceans in plastic tubs, slashes a huge amount of waste. Terra Oleo's idea could make that possible, turning a supply chain problem into a cleaner, simpler solution.
Even at home, choosing plastic-free versions of everyday products helps keep that momentum going — it's an easy way to make a real dent in waste.
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Still in early stages, Terra Oleo is scaling up its fermentation process, aiming to supply commercial partners within the next few years. If successful, the company's microbes could make sustainable oils as common — and affordable — as traditional ones.
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