However there’s a bittersweet truth behind the delicious confection: the cocoa industry is struggling. It is being faced with volatile supply chains, deforestation concerns, child labour allegations, and the mounting pressure of climate change, and the traditional cocoa model is under strain.

This Easter weekend, Startups Magazine is focusing on the startups that are reimagining the way chocolate is created, cultivated, and collected, in order to create a more sustainable way forward for the industry.

California Cultured

California Cultured is a startup based in West Sacramento, California, that is pioneering lab-grown chocolate through plant cell culture technology. Founded in 2020 by Alan Perlstein, Dr. Harrison Yoon, and Deborah Neumann, as they aimed to address the environmental and ethical challenges facing the traditional cocoa industry, such as deforestation, child labour, and supply chain volatility.

Similarly to the way meat is grown in a lab, California Cultured’s process involves harvesting cells from cacao pods and cultivating them in bioreactors under controlled conditions. This allows for the production of cocoa that is free from pesticides, while enabling the enhancement of desirable flavour compounds. Most notably, the startup has achieved higher concentrations of flavanols, which are associated with the health benefits of dark chocolate.

Cocoa Press

Cocoa Press is a startup based in Philadelphia that has developed a 3D printer designed specifically for printing chocolate. Ellie Weinstein, the founder, began working on the concept of the printer as a high school project, and continued its development during her university studies.

The Cocoa Press printer allows users to create intricate chocolate designs without the need for custom moulds, offering a new level of personalisation in the chocolate making process. The printer uses specially formulated chocolate cores and is available in both DIY kits and pre-assembled versions.

Foreverland

Foreverland is an Italian foodtech startup that has developed a patented cocoa-free chocolate alternative called Choruba, formerly known as Freecao. Choruba is made from grains and carob, which offers a sustainable and ethical substitute for traditional chocolate.

The startup’s mission is to democratise chocolate by providing a sustainable, and friendly for the planet, alternative without compromising on the taste. The Choruba product is available in drops or a liquid form, and can be used in a variety of applications in the food industry. Foreverland has also launched products such as praline and panettone using Choruba, collaborating with Italian artisans to bring these items to market.

Trusty

Trusty is an Italian company specialising in digitalising agri-food supply chains through blockchain-based traceability solutions. It focuses on enhancing transparency, sustainability, and regulatory compliance across the food sector. The platform is particularly impactful in cocoa and coffee supply chains, connecting farmers, buyers, and financial institutions to foster ethical sourcing and transparency.

Trusty's modular platform integrates with existing enterprise systems via APIs, enabling end-to-end traceability from farm to fork. Key features include:​

• EUDR compliance: supports adherence to EU Regulation 2023/1115, which mandates deforestation-free sourcing for produce like cocoa, coffee, soy, and palm oil
• "Made in Italy" traceability: promotes Italian agri-food excellence by aligning with national regulations, including Law No. 206/2023, which supports the digitalisation and protection of strategic supply chains
• QR code e-labels: utilises GS1 Digital Link standards to provide consumers and stakeholders with instant access to verified product information via QR codes

By offering a suite of tools, Trusty enables agri-food businesses to enhance supply chain integrity, meet evolving regulatory demands, and promote sustainable practices globally

Voyage Foods

Oakland, California based startup Voyage Foods has developed a cocoa-free chocolate alternative as part of its mission to replicate beloved foods using sustainable, ethical, and allergen-free ingredients. The startup aims to address concerns around the environmental and human rights issues tied to traditional chocolate production, such as deforestation and child labour in cocoa supply chains. The product forms part of a broader portfolio that includes bean-free coffee and nut-free spreads, all geared toward food system resilience.

Voyage Foods’ cocoa-free chocolate was formulated by analysing the molecular composition of conventional chocolate and recreating its flavour, texture, and melt using ingredients like grape seeds and sunflower flour. The result is a substitute that closely mirrors the sensory experience of cocoa-based chocolate without using any cocoa beans.

(Chocolate) Spread the love

Challenges in the cocoa sector are complex and will require decades of work to improve. However, these startups show that a little innovation can go a long way in making chocolate not only smarter, but fairer.

The future of chocolate might not look anything like its past, and that, is worth savouring.

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