Lab-grown, climate-resilient chocolate bars

This startup is growing cocoa in bioreactors to future-proof sweet treats

Spotted: Cacao trees, the source of cocoa, only grow close to the equator and are very sensitive to climate change. Already, heatwaves and heavy rain are devastating harvests in West Africa, which produces three-quarters of the world’s cocoa, causing cocoa prices to soar.

Instead of contemplating a future without chocolate, Kokomodo is working to cultivate cocoa in a controlled environment, climate-proofing the high-value crop. Rather than using sunlight, water, and soil to nurture cacao plants, Kokomodo uses plant cell cultures to grow cocoa plant cells indoors in bioreactors fed on sugars, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

The company starts with fresh beans from high-quality cacao varieties. Then, Kokomodo puts them through a process that creates a callus — an undifferentiated cluster of cells that behave like stem cells. These are then transferred to a liquid media. The company can then alter the environment and media to produce the desired cocoa biomass.

This biomass is harvested, fermented, roasted, and ground, just as with regular cocoa beans, although gentler treatment is required. This downstream process can also be controlled to create custom products for different customers and applications. Analysis of the finished product indicates that some of the products are richer in antioxidants and protein than traditional cocoa.

The company has recently emerged from stealth and is supported by $750,000 in investments from the Kitchen FoodTech Hub and the Israel Innovation Authority. But don’t expect to buy any Kokomodo chocolate bars directly from your local shop – its business model will focus on B2B sales to clients in different industries, including cosmetics and chocolate manufacturers.

Written By: Lisa Magloff