Investing in the Future of Chocolate: Why We Backed Celleste Bio
We’re thrilled to share our recent lead investment in Celleste Bio, a groundbreaking cocoa technology company that has developed a plant cell culture platform to produce chocolate ingredients—without trees. Yes, you read that right: treeless cocoa. But why?
The global chocolate industry is growing by 9% annually, yet it faces mounting challenges. Unpredictable weather, the spread of pests and diseases, and the natural aging of cocoa trees are all taking a toll on supply. Meanwhile, demand for chocolate continues to surge, putting immense pressure on traditional, tree-grown cocoa. This crop is the lifeblood of millions of livelihoods worldwide, yet production is struggling to keep pace with the market’s needs.
Faced with this dynamic, the chocolate industry is at a critical juncture—it urgently needs scalable, sustainable solutions that can work alongside conventional cocoa production.
Why Celleste Bio?
We’ve been closely monitoring the cocoa alternatives space for some time (see our market analysis in “The Rise of Cocoa Alternatives”) and recognized that any meaningful innovation in this field must address three critical criteria:
Taste: A product indistinguishable from traditional cocoa.
Texture: The velvety smoothness chocolate lovers expect.
Price Parity: Accessibility for manufacturers and consumers alike.
Celleste Bio checks all these boxes with its innovative plant cell culture platform. Their technology has the potential to enhance supply resilience and reduce the environmental impact of cocoa production—helping the industry evolve sustainably without compromising on quality.
What sets Celleste Bio apart?
Beyond technology, the strength of Celleste lies within its leadership. The company is led by CEO Michal Beressi Golomb and CTO Hanne Volpin. Michal brings exceptional business leadership and strategic vision, while Hanne’s deep technical and scientific knowledge drives innovation at the core of the company’s mission. This synergy of business acumen and technical excellence gives Celleste Bio a unique edge as they work to redefine the chocolate supply chain.
Stay tuned as we share updates on our journey with Celleste Bio and explore how this breakthrough can reshape the future of chocolate. Together, we’re proving that innovation and tradition can work hand in hand for a sweet and sustainable future.
More in Bloomberg’s exclusive.