Foreverland secures €6M to expand its cocoa-free chocolate ingredient.

      The Italian foodtech company, which produces Choruba from Mediterranean carob and has already established four partnerships with European confectioners, has now raised a total of €9.4 million in funding for commercial growth and the development of an organic product line. Foreverland, the startup creating a carob-based chocolate alternative, has secured €6 million in a recent funding round, increasing its overall capital raised to €9.4 million.

      This funding round includes additional investments from seed investors Kost Capital and Maia Ventures, as well as new contributions from CDP Venture Capital, Linfa (the agrifoodtech fund managed by Riello Investimenti SGR), and Newtree Impact, a food and agriculture venture capital firm based in Brussels.

      Foreverland's commercial timing coincides with a significant issue in the global cocoa market that appears unlikely to be resolved soon. Cocoa prices surged over 300% from 2022 to 2024 due to climate-related crop failures in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which together account for approximately two-thirds of the world’s cocoa supply. The ongoing supply instability has exerted continuous pressure on the profit margins and production timelines of confectionery manufacturers, creating a genuine opportunity for scalable alternatives with predictable pricing.

      The company’s solution is Choruba, an ingredient derived from carob, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas cultivated in the Mediterranean. Foreverland claims that Choruba uses 90% less water than cocoa and has CO₂ emissions 83% lower than those of conventional dark chocolate. These figures have been validated through an independent life-cycle assessment rather than internal estimates.

      Choruba is protected by two patents and closely mimics the taste and functionality of chocolate, making it compatible with existing confectionery production lines without requiring equipment changes. Massimo Sabatini, co-founder and CEO, has emphasized that this compatibility is crucial for industrial adoption.

      Founded in 2023 in Bari by Sabatini, Riccardo Bottiroli, Giuseppe D’Alessandro, and Massimo Brochetta, the company has quickly advanced from the laboratory to full-scale production. Its facility in Puglia, which opened in October 2025, has the capacity to produce 500 tonnes of Choruba annually.

      Foreverland has received IFS Food certification, a requirement for most large European food manufacturers regarding ingredient suppliers, and has formed four partnerships with European confectioners, with additional agreements in progress. Currently, the commercial markets are focused on Italy and Germany, with aspirations for expansion into France and the Nordic region.

      “With IFS Food certification secured and demand increasing, we are enhancing our commercial growth across Europe, reinforcing essential partnerships, and recruiting senior professionals from the cocoa and chocolate industries to assist manufacturers at scale,” stated Sabatini in a release accompanying the announcement.

      The newly raised capital will support this hiring, particularly of commercial professionals with experience in cocoa and confectionery, as well as the European expansion, deeper collaborations with major confectionery brands, and the introduction of an organic cocoa-free product line to cater to a growing market segment.

      The organic line represents a significant addition: IFS Food certification and organic credentials together meet the two most prevalent procurement requirements among European confectioners looking to reduce their dependence on cocoa.

      The composition of investors reflects the industrial rationale behind the funding round. Linfa, the AgriFoodTech fund launched by Riello Investimenti SGR in 2024 with €65 million in committed capital and backing from the European Investment Fund, specifically targets late-stage agri-food innovators with strong process, product, or sustainability credentials, which aligns closely with Foreverland's profile.