Koa Switzerland AG

By upcycling the once-unused parts of the cocoa fruit, Koa reduces food waste and provides smallholder farmers with additional income. The start-up is redefining the understanding of value creation in the cocoa supply chain in rural West Africa. By using once-discarded cocoa pulp, Koa significantly increases farmers’ income and reduces food waste by 40%. The decentralised cocoa fruit extraction system is mobile and powered by solar electricity. This allows Koa to work directly with more than 2,200 farmers, even in remote areas. In addition to offering its pure cocoa fruit juice, “Koa Pure,” Koa has developed three other 100% natural products that are used in the industry. The Zurich-based company was founded in 2017 by Anian Schreiber, Benjamin Kuschnik, and Michael Acquah, and aims to produce more products from cocoa fruit and increase output, thanks to the upcoming completion of their second cocoa fruit factory, the largest in Africa.

Koa, Co-founder & Managing Director, Anian Schreiber