Planet A Foods raises funds to replace cocoa

Planet A Foods, one of C&EN’s 10 Start-Ups to Watch in 2024 , has raised $30 million to commercialize a chocolate alternative made from robust crops like sunflower and grape seed. Climate change is threatening production in many cacao-producing countries, and prices spiked this year. The company will use the money to scale production from 2,000 metric tons (t) per year to 15,000 t. The firm expects products with its ingredient to launch in the UK and France early in 2025.