Celleste Bio

Celleste Bio is a cocoa-tech company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, that produces cocoa ingredients using plant cell culture rather than cocoa tree cultivation. Cells are extracted from one or two cocoa beans taken from a single pod and multiplied in a controlled, indoor environment with water and a nutrient-rich solution, in a continuous cycle that does not require opening additional pods. The company states this approach can yield one ton of cocoa butter from a single cocoa pod, and that ingredients can be produced year-round anywhere in the world, independent of climate and geography. The cocoa cells are described as naturally occurring, without genetic modification or manipulation.

The company's technology stack combines biotechnology, agricultural technology and AI computational models to replicate optimal growing conditions and deliver consistent, traceable output. It markets two product lines derived from a single material source: chocolate-grade cocoa butter and powder positioned as a commodity drop-in replacement for conventional cocoa in existing chocolate manufacturing, and tailored products with adjustable attributes such as sweetness level, melting temperature and fine flavors.

Celleste Bio frames its market opportunity around structural constraints on conventional cocoa: supply shortfalls, cocoa prices reaching roughly four times historic highs, deforestation in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, pest and disease pressure reducing yields, and growers switching to crops such as palm oil and rubber. Cocoa butter, which the company says accounts for about one third of a standard chocolate bar, is identified as the most expensive and resource-intensive component.

Founding story

Celleste Bio was founded in 2022 by Hanne Volpin, PhD (co-founder and Chief Technical Officer), Orna Harel, Avishay Levy and Daphna Michaeli, PhD, with support from The Trendlines Group. The four founders are described as bringing interdisciplinary experience in the agrifood sector, particularly cellular biology. The company was established to address rising chocolate demand against cocoa supply chain challenges caused by climate change and conventional farming practices.

Business model

Business-to-business supply of cocoa ingredients — cocoa butter and cocoa powder — to chocolate manufacturers, positioned as drop-in replacements compatible with existing manufacturing processes, alongside tailored ingredient formulations.

Sale of cell-cultured cocoa ingredients to chocolate and confectionery manufacturers.

Traction

Closed a $4.5 million seed round in December 2024 to move toward pilot and scale production. The company announced milk chocolate bars made with cocoa butter produced using cell suspension culture technology, described as a first of its kind.

Latest developments

In December 2024 Celleste Bio announced a $4.5 million seed financing round led by Supply Change Capital with participation from Mondelēz International's SnackFutures Ventures, Consensus Business Group, The Trendlines Group, Barrel Ventures and Regba Agriculture, to be used for R&D, infrastructure and technological capabilities ahead of pilot and scaled production. The company also unveiled milk chocolate bars made with cell-cultured cocoa butter produced by cell suspension culture.