Cocoa

ActiveVenture Capital

Updated: Feb 17, 2026 ·

Financial History

Total Raised

N/A

Valuation

N/A

Investments Made

Date	Company	Round	Lead Investor(s)	Co-Investor(s)
Jul 1, 2025	Spiko	$21.0M Series A	—	Accel, Athletico Ventures, First Round Capital, Founders Future, Frontline Ventures, Insight Partners, Khosla Ventures, LocalGlobe, MMC Ventures, Point Nine Capital, Seedcamp, Stride VC, Adrien Montfort, Charlie Songhurst, Claire Hughes Johnson, Frederic Montagnon, Harsh Sinha, Jean Charles Samuelian, Valentine Baudouin
Apr 1, 2025	Plakar	$3.0M Seed	—	Cortical Ventures, Molten Ventures, Motier Ventures, Pareto Holdings, Playfair Capital, Seedcamp, Brandon Deer, Cory Levy, Justin Mateen, Philippe Teixeira da Mota
Mar 1, 2025	compri	$2.0M Seed	—	7percent Ventures, Dutch Founders Fund, Felicis Ventures, Flash Ventures, Gradient Ventures, Northzone, Polychain Capital, Shine Capital, Speedinvest, Tribe Capital, Andrej Henkler, Andy Leaver, Asif Moosani, Mathias Ockenfels, Tom Blomfield
Mar 1, 2025	Fyxer AI	$10.0M Series A	—	20VC, AirAngels, AIX Ventures, BITKRAFT Ventures, Capnamic Ventures, EQT Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Vidu Shanmugarajah, Harmonix Fund, Humba Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, La Famiglia, Long Journey Ventures, Madrona Ventures, Mana Ventures, Refactor Capital, The Hit Forge, Trajectory Ventures, Transcend Fund, Visionaries Club, World Fund, Aravind Bharadwaj, Chris Carvalho, Eden Chen, Gokul Rajaram, Lukas Brosseder, Marc Benioff, Mario Götze, Nate Mitchell, Nico Rosberg, Robert Maier, Stefan Muehlemann
Feb 1, 2025	Lemni	$4.0M Seed	—	byFounders, Creandum, Designer Fund, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, General Catalyst, Hummingbird Ventures, La Famiglia, Next Play Ventures, Operator Collective, RTP Global, Sequoia Capital, SNR, Visionaries Club, Adam D'Angelo, Charlie Songhurst, Christian Bach, Christian Reber, Dharmesh Shah, Fredrik Hjelm, George Kurtz, Gokul Rajaram, Job Van Der Voort, Koen Bok, Lukas Brosseder, Mario Götze, Melissa Tan, Nico Rosberg, Robert Maier, Scott Belsky, Stefan Lindeberg, Stewart Butterfield
Nov 1, 2024	HyperHeat	$3.0M Seed	—	Picus Capital, Prototype Capital
Sep 1, 2024	YOUTH	$1.0M Seed	—	Antler, Athletico Ventures, Founders Future, P101, Walden Catalyst Ventures, Adrien Montfort, Frederic Montagnon, Harsh Sinha, Jean Charles Samuelian, Konstantin Othmer, Valentine Baudouin
Jun 1, 2024	Prewave	$67.0M Series B	—	Creandum, IST cube, Kompas VC, Chris Murphy, Stephan Wirries
Jun 1, 2024	Spiko	$4.0M Seed	—	360 Capital Partners, Athletico Ventures, Founders Future, Motier Ventures, NewFund, XAnge, Adrien Montfort, Frederic Montagnon, Harsh Sinha, Jean Charles Samuelian, Jonathan Widawski, Nicolas Steegmann, Sebastien Borget, Thibaud Elziere, Valentine Baudouin
Jun 1, 2024	Gynger	$20.0M Series A	—	01 Advisors, Addition, Animal Capital, Deciens Capital, Felicis Ventures, Flash Ventures, Gradient Ventures, Lazerow Ventures, Northzone, Obvious Ventures, Pareto Holdings, Polychain Capital, REMUS Capital, Rethink Impact, Tiger Global Management, Tribe Capital, Vine Ventures LP, Andrej Henkler, Andy Leaver, Asif Moosani, Griffin Johnson, Tom Blomfield
Jun 1, 2024	Human Native AI	$4.0M Seed	—	7percent Ventures, LocalGlobe, Mercuri, Matteo Franceschetti, Omid Ashtari, Saturnin Pugnet
May 1, 2024	Sona	$28.0M Series A	—	Accel, Emma Steele, Balderton Capital, Felicis Ventures, Flash Ventures, Gradient Ventures, Jigsaw VC, Northzone, Polychain Capital, Smash Capital, Tribe Capital, Andrej Henkler, Andy Leaver, Asif Moosani, Tom Blomfield
Sep 1, 2023	Delphi	$3.0M Seed	—	7percent Ventures, Alumni Ventures, AngelList, Initialized Capital, Intel Capital, Khosla Ventures, LocalGlobe, Sound Ventures, Vayner RSE, Y Combinator, Akhil Paul, Balaji Srinivasan, Bob Lee, Evan Cheng, Justin David Blau, Omid Ashtari, Saturnin Pugnet, Scott Wharton, Sebastien Borget
Sep 1, 2023	PierSight Space	$600K Seed	—	Picus Capital, Prototype Capital
Jul 1, 2023	Ivy	$8.0M Seed	—	Andreessen Horowitz, Cherry Ventures, Creandum, eFounders, foobar.vc, General Catalyst, HV Capital, Index Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Seedcamp, Sequoia Capital, Andrew Jones, Bastian Nominacher, Chris Murphy, Christian Reber, Dominik Richter, Emmanuel Thomassin, Gloria Baeuerlein, Gokul Rajaram, Kaushik Subramanian, Mads Fosselius, Rodolphe Ardant, Steve Anavi, Thibaud Elziere, Thijn Lamers
Jul 1, 2023	Tilebox, Inc.	$2.0M Seed	—	Picus Capital, Prototype Capital, Charlie Songhurst, Philipp Herkelmann
May 1, 2023	Pledge	$10.0M Series A	—	Alumni Ventures, Investinor, La Famiglia, Lowercarbon Capital, Shine Capital, TrueSight Ventures, Visionaries Club, Ed Brandler, Lukas Brosseder, Mario Götze, Nico Rosberg, Robert Maier
May 1, 2023	Twirl	$2.0M Seed	—	Benchmark, Cota Capital, Creandum, La Famiglia, Lowercarbon Capital, MCJ Collective, Scale Asia Ventures, Vintage Investment Partners, Visionaries Club, Y Combinator, Lukas Brosseder, Mario Götze, Nico Rosberg, Robert Maier
May 1, 2023	Prewave	$20.0M Series A	—	btov Partners, Creandum, IST cube, Kompas VC, Chris Murphy, Stephan Wirries
Apr 1, 2023	Ctrl	$9.0M Seed	—	2xN, 7percent Ventures, Accel, Ada Ventures, C2 Investment, Earlybird Venture Capital, Hashed, LocalGlobe, OODA Ventures, Paladin Capital Group, Plug & Play Ventures, Bradley Horowitz, Charlie Songhurst, Christian Faes, Ivan Mazour, Matteo Franceschetti, Omid Ashtari, Saturnin Pugnet
Mar 1, 2023	Two	$19.0M Series A	—	1776, Alumni Ventures, Amino Collective, Antler, Atria Ventures, Bascom Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, FirstMark Capital, Gotham Gal Ventures, Investinor, La Famiglia, Parkway VC, Shine Capital, Greg Bettinelli, TrueSight Ventures, Visionaries Club, XFactor Ventures, Andrew Keys, Balaji Srinivasan, Lukas Brosseder, Mario Götze, Nico Rosberg, Robert Maier
Mar 1, 2023	Luma AI	$20.0M Series A	—	Alt Capital, Amplify Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Asylum Ventures, B Capital Group, Foundamental, Locus Ventures, Matrix, Prototype Capital, Rethink Impact, Shift Left Ventures, Social Starts, Trifecta Growth Equity, Adam Marchick, Anjney Midha, Arun Sarin, Munish Varma, Sundeep Madra, Tekin Salimi
Feb 1, 2023	Recycleye	$17.0M Series A	—	DCVC (Data Collective), Hoxton Ventures, Index Ventures, Molten Ventures, Playfair Capital, Promus Ventures, Seedcamp, Munish Varma, Philippe Teixeira da Mota
Dec 1, 2022	Gynger	$12.0M Seed	—	Baukunst, Bolt, Deciens Capital, DNX Ventures, Felicis Ventures, Flash Ventures, Flex Capital, Flybridge Capital Partners, Gradient Ventures, Humba Ventures, MAGIC Fund, Northzone, Nyca Partners, Polychain Capital, Precursor Ventures, QED Investors, Recharge Capital, Reciprocal Ventures, Tet Ventures, Trajectory Ventures, Tribe Capital, Unusual Ventures, Vera Equity, Andrej Henkler, Andy Leaver, Asif Moosani, Charles Delingpole, Jason Lemkin, Louis Beryl, Mark Ghermezian, Tom Blomfield
Dec 1, 2022	Blockbrain	$3.0M Seed	—	Antler, Global Ventures, La Famiglia, Rajan Anandan, Sunfish Partners, Visionaries Club, Lukas Brosseder, Mario Götze, Nico Rosberg, Thibaud Lecuyer, Giesecke+Devrient Ventures, Robert Maier

Financial History

Total Raised

N/A

Valuation

N/A

Leadership Team

Key people at Cocoa.

Leadership Team

Key people at Cocoa.

Deep Dive

High-Level Overview

Cocoa, in the context of startups and investment, primarily refers to innovative companies and ventures focused on transforming the cocoa and chocolate industry through technology, sustainability, and alternative production methods. For example, Celleste Bio is a startup that uses ag tech, biotechnology, and AI to grow natural cocoa in controlled environments, addressing supply chain and environmental challenges in the $100 billion chocolate market[1]. Other startups like Foreverland and WNWN develop cocoa-free chocolate alternatives using plant-based ingredients to reduce environmental impact and allergen concerns[2]. These companies serve chocolate manufacturers, consumers seeking sustainable and ethical products, and the broader food industry by solving problems related to cocoa supply shortages, climate change, and ethical sourcing.

Origin Story

Celleste Bio was founded in 2022 by a team leveraging biotechnology and AI to create cell-cultured cocoa, aiming to mitigate the environmental damage caused by traditional cocoa farming and climate change[1]. Early traction includes securing $4.5 million in seed funding from notable investors such as Mondelez International's venture arm, signaling strong industry interest and validation[1]. Other startups like Foreverland emerged from experienced food industry professionals seeking to address ethical and environmental issues by creating cocoa-free chocolate alternatives based on Mediterranean carob[2]. These origin stories highlight a shift toward innovation driven by sustainability and technology in the cocoa sector.

Core Differentiators

Celleste Bio
Uses a combination of agricultural technology, biotechnology, and AI to grow cocoa year-round from minimal starting material[1].
Focuses on cell-cultured cocoa to reduce reliance on traditional farming and combat climate change impacts[1].
Supported by strategic investors including a major global chocolate producer, enhancing scalability and market access[1].

Foreverland and WNWN
Develop cocoa-free chocolate alternatives using plant-based ingredients like carob, oats, and barley[2].
Emphasize allergen-free, lower sugar content, and sustainable packaging[2].
Target consumers seeking ethical, allergy-friendly, and environmentally conscious chocolate options[2].

Trusty
Implements blockchain technology to create transparent, ethical cocoa supply chains and enable micro-financing for farmers[2].
Supports compliance with EU regulations on sustainability and data protection[2].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

These companies are riding the wave of sustainability, food tech innovation, and ethical supply chain transparency. The timing is critical as climate change increasingly threatens traditional cocoa farming, and consumers demand more sustainable and ethical products[1][2]. Market forces such as rising cocoa prices, environmental regulations, and growing consumer awareness favor innovations like cell-cultured cocoa and cocoa-free alternatives. By leveraging biotechnology, AI, and blockchain, these ventures influence the broader ecosystem by reducing environmental impact, improving farmer livelihoods, and reshaping chocolate production and consumption patterns.

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, companies like Celleste Bio are poised to scale cell-cultured cocoa production, potentially revolutionizing how cocoa is sourced and produced globally. The trend toward plant-based and allergen-free chocolate alternatives will likely grow, driven by consumer health and sustainability concerns. Blockchain-enabled ethical sourcing platforms may become standard in the industry, enhancing transparency and fairness. Collectively, these innovations could redefine the chocolate industry, making it more resilient, sustainable, and consumer-aligned, while addressing critical supply chain and environmental challenges.

This transformation ties back to the urgent need to innovate in cocoa production to sustain a growing global chocolate market under climate and ethical pressures.

Sources

High-Level Overview

Origin Story

Core Differentiators

Celleste Bio
Uses a combination of agricultural technology, biotechnology, and AI to grow cocoa year-round from minimal starting material[1].
Focuses on cell-cultured cocoa to reduce reliance on traditional farming and combat climate change impacts[1].
Supported by strategic investors including a major global chocolate producer, enhancing scalability and market access[1].

Foreverland and WNWN
Develop cocoa-free chocolate alternatives using plant-based ingredients like carob, oats, and barley[2].
Emphasize allergen-free, lower sugar content, and sustainable packaging[2].
Target consumers seeking ethical, allergy-friendly, and environmentally conscious chocolate options[2].

Trusty
Implements blockchain technology to create transparent, ethical cocoa supply chains and enable micro-financing for farmers[2].
Supports compliance with EU regulations on sustainability and data protection[2].

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Quick Take & Future Outlook

This transformation ties back to the urgent need to innovate in cocoa production to sustain a growing global chocolate market under climate and ethical pressures.