Foreverland secures €6M for cocoa-free chocolate expansion
▼ Summary
– Foreverland, an Italian startup, has raised €6 million in new funding, bringing its total capital to €9.4 million for commercial expansion and product development.
– The company produces Choruba, a cocoa alternative made from Mediterranean carob, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas, which uses significantly less water and produces fewer emissions than cocoa.
– Choruba is patented, mimics chocolate’s taste and function for existing production lines, and the company has secured IFS Food certification and four European confectionery partnerships.
– The funding round includes both existing investors like Kost Capital and new ones such as CDP Venture Capital, reflecting industrial and sustainability investment logic.
– The commercial opportunity arises from a structural crisis in the cocoa market, where prices have soared over 300% since 2022 due to climate-related supply issues.
An Italian food technology company has secured a significant new investment to advance its cocoa-free chocolate alternative. Foreverland has raised €6 million, increasing its total funding to €9.4 million. This capital will accelerate its commercial expansion across Europe and fund the development of an organic product line. The funding round attracted continued support from seed investors Kost Capital and Maia Ventures, alongside new commitments from CDP Venture Capital, the agrifoodtech fund Linfa, managed by Riello Investimenti SGR, and Brussels-based venture firm Newtree Impact.
The company’s growth is strategically timed to address a critical instability in the global cocoa market. Between 2022 and 2024, cocoa prices surged by over 300%. This dramatic increase is primarily due to climate-related crop failures in West Africa, a region responsible for approximately two-thirds of the world’s supply. This supply chain volatility creates persistent pressure on confectionery manufacturers, opening a clear commercial opportunity for scalable, price-stable alternatives.
Foreverland’s solution is an ingredient called Choruba, crafted from Mediterranean carob, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas. According to a commissioned life-cycle assessment, Choruba uses 90% less water and generates 83% lower CO₂ emissions compared to conventional cocoa-based dark chocolate. The product is protected by two patents and is designed to mimic the taste and functional properties of chocolate so precisely that it can be used in standard confectionery production lines without requiring equipment modifications. This drop-in compatibility is a cornerstone of the company’s strategy for widespread industrial adoption.
Founded in Bari in 2023, the startup has progressed rapidly. It inaugurated a production facility in Puglia in October 2025, which has an annual capacity of 500 tonnes. Foreverland has also secured IFS Food certification, a key standard demanded by major European food manufacturers. The company has already established four partnerships with European confectionery brands and is targeting further expansion into markets like France and the Nordic region, building on its existing commercial presence in Italy and Germany.
“With IFS Food certification in place and demand accelerating, we’re scaling commercial growth across Europe, strengthening key partnerships, and bringing in senior talent from the cocoa and chocolate industry to support manufacturers at scale,” said co-founder and CEO Massimo Sabatini.
The new investment will be directed toward hiring commercial experts from the cocoa industry, deepening partnerships with major confectioners, and launching an organic product line. This organic cocoa-free chocolate initiative is strategically important, as it addresses a growing market segment and, combined with IFS certification, meets the two most common procurement requirements for manufacturers seeking to reduce their cocoa dependency.
The profile of the investors underscores the industrial rationale behind the funding. Linfa, for instance, is a dedicated agrifoodtech fund that targets late-stage innovators with strong sustainability and process credentials, making Foreverland a natural fit for its portfolio.
(Source: The Next Web)