Celleste Bio unveiled milk chocolate bars made with real cocoa butter using cell suspension culture technology. The development has been labeled as a critical achievement for the cocoa tech leader in accelerating its capabilities to build a scalable, commercially viable cocoa supply.

The cocoa butter was used by Mondelēz International, Celleste's strategic partner, to create a nearly a dozen chocolate bars that met the integrity and consumption standards for its products.

The milestone sets Celleste on the path to scale, having its cell cultured cocoa butter market ready by 2027. Celleste's cell cultured ingredients are bio-identical to conventionally grown cocoa - meaning they deliver the same texture, melt profile and sensory experience, and sets the stage for scaling production to market ready quantities within the next two years.

"Celleste launched in 2022 with the mission to secure a sustainable future for the global chocolate industry amidst increasing supply chain pressures of climate change, disease, traceability and geopolitical instability," Michal Beressi Golomb, CEO, Celleste Bio, said in a statement. "In three years we've made unprecedented progress to meet this formidable scientific challenge. We've validated our ingredients as drop-in replacements, created an operational R&D pilot facility to scale up our volumes and now proven our cocoa butter performs identically to conventional cocoa, clearing the next phase to commercial scale."

Celleste is also poised to change the dynamic of the chocolate market. Its model is designed to leverage AI computational modeling to customize cocoa butter to customer specifications – such as higher melting points and taste experiences – that can allow manufacturers to uplevel their innovation and competitive advantage.

Celleste's chief technical and scientific officer Hanne Volpin, PhD underscores the environmental upside of using cell cultured technology to supplement traditional growing methods.

To date, Celleste Bio has raised $5.6 million, including Mondelēz International as a strategic and design partner, along with Supply Change Capital, Trendlines, Barrel Ventures and non-dilutive grants.