Developing a sustainable cocoa alternative
28 Apr 2026
Chocolate is loved worldwide, but conventional cocoa production has a significant environmental footprint. Fermtech, an innovative food tech company, is tackling this challenge with the development of Koji Cocoa™, a sustainable cocoa alternative created from brewery by products, which has a 98% lower CO₂ footprint than cocoa.
Challenge
Global cocoa production is a leading driver of deforestation across Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. To expand cocoa-growing land, forests are cleared and ecosystems disrupted, often involving heavy pesticide use that pollutes water systems and threatens wildlife. At the same time, the food industry produces vast amounts of agricultural waste, such as grain husks, shells and plant by-products, that typically go unused.
To bring its sustainable Koji Cocoa™ product to market, Fermtech needed support to navigate a critical research and development phase, prepare for investment and get product market fit.
Solution
Fermtech joined the DeepTech Catalyst Bio (DTC Bio) at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, an incubation programme designed to support early-stage biotechnology companies in achieving their commercial potential and de-risk the route to market. DTC Bio is a collaboration between the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Through the programme, Fermtech accessed:
- Specialist business and technical training
- £50,000 targeted R&D funding
- A £10,000 innovation voucher to fund collaborative R&D with a partner organisation
- Networking and introductions to investors, customers, sector stakeholders and next-stage funders
Using the innovation voucher, Fermtech collaborated with a university food science department to refine and optimise the Koji Cocoa™ formulation, ensuring the product was ready for market.
The programme directly helped the team plan its R&D roadmap and complete a Seed funding round, supporting the company’s progression toward commercial scale.
Impact
With support from DTC Bio, Fermtech has strengthened its product, business model, and investment readiness. Funded R&D enabled the optimisation, refinement, and validation of Koji Cocoa™, while the programme also supported Fermtech in achieving product–market fit for entry into the food ingredients sector.
In addition, direct introductions through the programme contributed to the successful completion of a Seed investment round. As a result, Fermtech is now well-positioned to scale Koji Cocoa™ into commercial markets, helping food manufacturers significantly reduce their environmental footprint.
“The programme is a valuable mix of training, networks, and funding. It’s been an important and valuable part of our progress to building a scalable company.”
Andy Clayton, Biologist, and CEO & Founder of Fermtech
