Kokomodo hopes to solve chocolate crunch with cell cultivation

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In Israel, startup Kokomodo aims to alleviate concerns over future supply of cacao, the source of cocoa for chocolate, by cultivating cocoa powder in bioreactors.

Founded earlier this year by Tal Govrin, Kokomodo is a joint venture between The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and Tel Aviv-based Plantae Bioscience. Kokomodo’s process takes cells from select cacao beans and promotes cellular development with growth media. Once the cells are plentiful enough to form a biomass, they are processed into cocao powder.

Cacao farming  is often impacted by severe weather events and, longer-term, is vulnerable to climate change.

“Kokomodo was born from a profound passion for preserving the supply of cocoa. Our cellular agriculture technology ensures a steady flow of premium, health-boosting cocoa, aligning consumer enjoyment with global responsibility,” Govrin told EIT Food Accelerator Network, according to vegconomist.