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§ Private Profile · Misgav, Israel
Biotechnology company producing cell-cultured cocoa butter via plant cell cultivation in bioreactors for food manufacturers.
Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, Celleste Bio is a food technology company that produces cell-cultured cocoa butter using plant cell cultivation technology grown in bioreactors. The enterprise utilizes biotechnology, agricultural technology, and AI computational models to cultivate natural cocoa ingredients year-round in controlled laboratory environments without harvesting traditional cocoa trees. Operating as a B2B supplier for chocolate manufacturers, their proprietary process requires one to two cocoa beans to yield the equivalent cocoa butter traditionally requiring four tonnes of cocoa and agricultural land. In December 2024, the organization secured $4.5 million in seed funding to accelerate research, build infrastructure, and scale production capabilities. This financing was led by Supply Change Capital, with strategic participation from Mondelēz International, The Trendlines Group, and Barrel Ventures. Celleste Bio was founded in 2022 by Hanne Volpin, Orna Harel, Avishay Levy, and Daphna Michaeli.
Celleste Bio has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Celleste Bio has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Celleste Bio has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in December 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2024 | $5M Seed | Supply Change Capital | Collide Capital | Announced |
Celleste Bio has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Celleste Bio's investors include Supply Change Capital, Collide Capital.
Celleste Bio is an early-stage cocoa tech company founded in 2022 that develops proprietary plant cell culture technology to produce 100% natural, bio-identical cocoa ingredients like chocolate-grade cocoa butter and powder.[1][2][3][4] It serves the $16 billion chocolate industry by addressing cocoa supply shortages driven by climate change, deforestation, and volatile prices, enabling scalable production without relying on cocoa trees.[2][4][6] The company extracts cells from 1-2 beans per pod, grows them in controlled bioreactors using water and nutrients in a continuous cycle, and combines biotech, agtech, and AI for consistent, high-quality output resilient to environmental disruptions.[1][2][6] Backed by investors like Supply Change Capital and Mondelez's SnackFutures Ventures, Celleste has raised $5.6 million and achieved a milestone in October 2025 by unveiling the first cell-cultured chocolate-grade cocoa butter, matching traditional butter's fatty acid profile, melting point, texture, and "snap."[4][7]
Celleste Bio was established in 2022 in Tel Aviv, Israel, by four founders with deep expertise in agrifood and cellular biology: Hanne Volpin, PhD (co-founder and CTO), Orna Harel, Avishay Levy, and Daphna Michaeli, PhD, with initial support from The Trendlines Group.[1][3][4] The idea emerged from the growing threats to cocoa production—climate change, deforestation, and projections that cocoa could cease to exist by 2050—prompting a shift to cellular agriculture as a sustainable alternative.[2][9] Leadership later expanded with CEO Michal Berresi Golomb, whose business acumen complements Volpin's technical prowess.[4][9] Early traction included developing proprietary tech for bio-identical cocoa ingredients and securing funding, culminating in the 2025 breakthrough of chocolate-grade cocoa butter unveiled at EIT Food's Next Bite Summit.[4][7]
Celleste Bio rides the cellular agriculture wave in food tech, targeting the cocoa crisis amid 10% annual chocolate industry growth, fourfold price spikes, and supply-demand gaps exacerbated by climate change.[1][2][7] Timing is critical: traditional farming faces long-term shortages, making cell-cultured solutions like Celleste's essential for supply resilience without quality trade-offs.[4][9] Market forces favoring it include rising demand for sustainable ingredients, investor interest in climate-resilient agtech (e.g., $5.6M raised), and partnerships with giants like Mondelez to redefine supply chains.[1][7] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering scalable, tree-free cocoa production, complementing farming while pushing regulatory paths in the EU and commercialization pilots.[3][7]
Celleste Bio is poised to disrupt cocoa supply with its validated cell-cultured butter, building a 1,000L pilot facility by end-2025 and pursuing commercialization and regulatory approvals (EU first).[7] Next steps include fundraising for scaled production and R&D, potentially achieving price parity and broader adoption amid ongoing shortages.[7][9] Trends like precision fermentation rivals (e.g., Smey) and food tech investment will shape its path, but its chocolate-specific focus and bio-identical results position it as a frontrunner for a resilient $16B market.[6][7] As climate pressures mount, Celleste could evolve from supplement to cornerstone, securing chocolate's future without compromising its essence—just as its minimal-bean tech scales nature's pod into global abundance.[2][6]