Celleste Bio Secures $4.5M to Scale Production of Cell-Cultured Cocoa, Mondelēz VC Arm Participates

Cocoa-tech startup Celleste Bio has raised $4.5 million in a seed round to produce cell-cultured cocoa ingredients for the food industry. The round was led by Supply Change Capital, with Mondelēz International’s venture capital arm SnackFutures Ventures participating. The funding will support Celleste Bio in scaling its production, research, and technological capabilities to meet the growing demands of the chocolate industry.

Founded in 2022, Celleste Bio aims to create a sustainable cacao supply using plant-cell cultivation and AI technology to grow cocoa indoors year-round. The startup's innovative approach to cocoa production addresses environmental challenges such as deforestation and rising cocoa prices. Investors recognize the importance of sustainable cocoa production, with Mondelēz International's SnackFutures Ventures seeing Celleste as a complementary technology to traditional farming practices with great promise for the future of the cocoa supply chain.