Kokomodo, an Israeli cellular cacao startup, has developed a platform to produce cacao locally using cells and advanced bioreactors independently from land and climate, avoiding deforestation. The startup has also developed cell-cultivated cocoa powder as its first product.

Cell-cultivating involves carefully choosing cacao bean cells from Central and Latin America and growing them in bioreactors with tailored growth media containing sugars, vitamins, and minerals. The cells grow to form a biomass harvested and processed into powder or other required formats.

Kokomodo claims that cultivated cacao mimics the features of conventional cacao, including aroma, flavors, and sweetness while offering health benefits and sustainability. The company claims it can also improve the nutritional value of cacao by controlling variables such as the content of lipids, antioxidants, or proteins.

Kokomodo, founded in 2024, is an Israeli joint venture between The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and Tel Aviv-based Plantae Bioscience. Kokomodo recently emerged from stealth after raising USD 750,000 from The Kitchen Hub and the Israel Innovation Authority to support its initial growth and mission to revolutionize the cocoa industry with sustainable cacao.

Analyst QuickTake: Traditional cocoa production often involves environmental and ethical concerns like deforestation and child labor . Producers of cocoa via cell cultivation, such as Food Brewer , California Cultured , and Celleste Bio , aim to resolve these issues by significantly reducing land, labor, and water requirements.