California Cultured and UC Davis Team Up to Bring Lab-Grown Cocoa Closer to Market
Sacramento-based food-tech company California Cultured is collaborating with researchers at the University of California, Davis, to develop commercially viable cocoa produced via plant cell culture, with commercial powder production targeted for early 2027. The project, funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and BioMADE, focuses on reducing the cost of growing cacao cells in bioreactors. UC Davis scientists will work alongside California Cultured to optimize bioreactor design, improve cleaning …
Chocolate Giant Puratos Makes Strategic Investment in California Cultured’s Cell-Based Cacao
California Cultured, a startup pioneering plant cell culture to produce cacao, has received an undisclosed investment from Sparkalis, the food tech venture arm of the Belgian international group Puratos. The new capital will fund the startup’s scaling operations at an upcoming new facility (currently under construction) to bring a cell-based cocoa powder product to the market. Filip Arnaut, managing director of Sparkalis, commented: “At Sparkalis, we seek out visionary startups …
California Cultured Signs 10-Year Agreement with Japan’s Largest Chocolate Company for Cell-Cultured Cocoa
California Cultured, a West Sacramento-based startup specializing in plant cell culture, has announced a partnership with Meiji Ltd. Co., Japan’s largest chocolate company. This collaboration involves the integration of California Cultured’s cell-cultured cocoa products into Meiji’s lineup of packaged goods. Part of the co-branded collaboration includes a 10-year commercial agreement positioning California Cultured as the supplier of its “Flavanol Cocoa Powder” to Meiji. California Cultured uses cellular agriculture to create …