Company Launches Sustainable Cocoa-Free Chocolate

Nukoko replaces high-impact cocoa beans with sustainable domestic alternatives

10th November 2024

2 Minutes Read

UK-based climate-tech startup Nukoko has partnered with German ingredients manufacturer Döhler to scale its sustainable, cocoa-free, fava bean-based chocolate.

In October, Döhler invested an undisclosed sum in Nukoko, describing the two companies’ relationship as a “strategic partnership.” Döhler has not confirmed whether it now owns a stake in the alternative chocolate company, but noted that the collaboration will allow Nukoko to scale its production to industrial levels by 2025.

“Nukoko’s technology presents a groundbreaking solution for the food and beverage industry,” said Döhler Ventures representative Rodrigo Hortega de Velasco in a statement. “We are proud to support the scale-up of their cocoa-free chocolate, which aligns with our mission to drive sustainable food innovations.”

The announcement follows a USD $1.5 million seed funding round by Nukoko earlier this year, which included other prominent investors such as Mills Fabrica, SOSV, and Oyster Bay Venture Capital, the latter of which invests primarily in sustainable and disruptive companies.

Making a healthier and more sustainable chocolate

Photo shows a selection of broken chocolate bars of differing sizes and colors — Adobe Stock Environmental and human rights issues of all kinds are rife within the modern chocolate industry

Former chocolate entrepreneurs Kit Tomlinson and Ross Newton and cocoa research scientist David Salt founded Nukoko in 2022. The trio has since developed the company’s proprietary fermentation technique that allows them to recreate familiar chocolate flavors with fava beans instead of the unsustainable and under-threat cocoa bean.

Döhler cites the climate crisis and declining yields as key drivers of the “unprecedented challenges” facing the chocolate industry. According to Nukoko, there was an 89 percent surge in cocoa prices in 2023 along with a deficit of 155,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, cocoa production “has long been associated with deforestation, child labor, and high carbon emissions.”

By recreating chocolate’s beloved flavor with “robust” domestic beans, Nukoko can produce an alternative with 90 percent fewer carbon emissions than traditional products. Nukoko’s chocolate alternative also boasts more fiber, protein, and antioxidants, with 40 percent less sugar.