Chocolate, a beloved treat enjoyed around the world, has a market value of $133 billion and is projected to grow annually by nearly five percent, according to Statista. Despite its popularity, the chocolate industry faces significant environmental challenges, largely due to traditional cocoa farming practices. However, Israeli startup Celleste Bio is aiming to transform the industry with its innovative lab-cultivated cocoa beans.
The World Wildlife Fund highlights that cocoa farming, predominantly in West African countries such as Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon, contributes to severe deforestation. Farmers often clear tropical forests to make way for new cocoa trees, exacerbating environmental damage. This issue is compounded by deforestation caused by other key ingredients in chocolate, like soy and palm oil.
While some chocolate manufacturers, including Germany’s Ritter Sport and the Netherlands’ Tony’s Chocolonely, are adopting sustainable practices, such measures have yet to become industry-wide standards.
Celleste Bio proposes a solution through lab-cultivated cocoa, which aims to replicate the taste and quality of traditional cocoa without the environmental drawbacks. “We’ve found a way to produce 100 percent natural cocoa without all the limitations and problems of the current supply chain,” says Celleste CEO Michal Beressi Golomb.
The company’s innovative method involves using cell culture technology and AI modeling to create cocoa beans that are chemically identical to those produced through conventional farming. Bean cells are grown in a bioreactor, which simulates the conditions of a cocoa pod, allowing them to mature and produce cocoa butter and powder within seven days. Importantly, this process does not involve genetic modification.
“This bioreactor serves as our forest,” Beressi Golomb explains, noting that the lab environment allows cocoa cells to grow continuously, independent of traditional climates. This method also addresses issues such as pest and disease vulnerability, which have historically affected cocoa production in regions like Brazil.
Founded in late 2022, Celleste Bio has gained attention from major industry players, including American multinational Mondelez, which owns brands such as Cadbury and Milka. Mondelez is now a strategic investor in Celleste Bio.
While other companies in the US, Switzerland, and Israel are exploring similar technologies, Celleste Bio is currently the only one producing cocoa butter at a chocolate-grade quality. The company is working on scaling up its process and aims to be market-ready by 2027, with plans to expand from a 1,000-liter to a 50,000-liter bioreactor.
“We’re here to save the chocolate industry and ensure that everyone can enjoy chocolate while feeling good about it,” says Beressi Golomb. With its focus on sustainability and innovation, Celleste Bio is positioning itself as a leader in reshaping the future of chocolate production.