This startup produces cocoa pulp through decentralized, solar-powered processes, enhancing small-scale farming in Ghana. By upcycling cocoa fruit, it reduces food waste in the cocoa value chain and provides a natural sweetener for various food products, enabling farmers to increase their income while minimizing the ecological impact of cocoa farming.
Funding
$32.8M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
In cocoa production, a significant portion of the cocoa fruit, the pulp, is often discarded, leading to substantial food waste and lost potential income for farmers. Traditional cocoa farming practices primarily focus on the beans, overlooking the value that can be derived from the entire fruit.
Solution
Koa addresses this issue by upcycling cocoa pulp through decentralized, solar-powered processing units, enabling small-scale farmers in Ghana to generate additional income from a previously discarded resource. The company extracts and processes the cocoa pulp into a natural sweetener and versatile ingredient for various food and beverage applications. This approach reduces food waste within the cocoa value chain and promotes sustainable agricultural practices. Koa's Community Mobile Processing Units (CMPUs) are located near cocoa farms, ensuring efficient processing and cooling of the fresh cocoa fruit products. The entire extraction process is powered by solar energy, minimizing environmental impact.
Target Audience
Koa's primary customers include food and beverage manufacturers, gastronomy professionals, and culinary innovators seeking natural sweeteners and unique ingredients.
Features
- Mobile Community Processing Units (CMPUs) for on-site cocoa pulp extraction
- Solar-powered processing to enable operations in remote areas
- Real-time digital monitoring of all stages, from harvest to packaging
- Blockchain verification of farmer payments for transparency
- Production of Koa Pure (cocoa fruit juice) in 10 or 200-liter units
- Production of Koa Flakes (dried cocoa fruit pulp) for culinary applications
- Products are Kosher-certified