On average, every German eats 9.2 kg of chocolate per year, according to figures from Statista. This requires the production of approximately 5 million tons of cocoa annually, which also involves clearing rainforests. The startup Qoa, founded in 2021, aims to solve this problem by replacing cocoa in its chocolate.
To achieve this, Qoa relies on byproducts from the food industry, such as oat or grain production. These are fermented with special microorganisms and then roasted. By using proprietary microbacteria and aroma-formation processes, Qoa aims to imitate the characteristic flavor profile and texture of chocolate.
Now the Startup successfully raised €5.2 million in a seed financing round. The round was led by early-stage investor Cherry Ventures. Other investors included Fifty Years, Nucleus Capital, Tet Ventures, Trellis Road, Pioneer Fund, and the new climate fund World Fund.
Qoa is said to be 10 times more sustainable than conventional chocolate
Qoa was founded by siblings Sara and Maximilian Marquart. Sara is a food chemist and recognized flavor development specialist with over 10 years of practical experience. Max, on the other hand, is a materials scientist who has already successfully founded two companies. They are confident that their recipe will allow them to produce chocolate from local ingredients that is vegan and 10 times more sustainable than conventional chocolate. The startup now has eight employees.
Anyone interested in experiencing the quality of Qoa chocolate can apply online for a test kit until November 14. The startup plans to launch its first product next year. To this end, they are already working with a top-notch chocolatier and other industry experts.
