Kumasi Drinks originated during the making of a  documentary about the cocoa industry in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The capital of that region is Kumasi. There, many farmers are totally dependent on the sale of cocoa, but they live below the poverty line. This is why Kumasi Drinks decided to start collecting cocoa fruit juice with a group of farmers to increase the living standard in the region.

The juicy flesh surrounding the cocoa bean is healthy and special. It doesn’t taste like cocoa or chocolate but like a kind of mix of lychee, mango and white peach. Normally it flows away when the cocoa fruit is broken open. For centuries, the industry has only been interested in the beans from which they make chocolate. But the juice is ideal for making extra tasty soft drinks.

With their fresh, novel approach in a cocoa market dominated by major players, Kumasi buys its juice with its technical partner in Ghana directly from farmers. This way, the cocoa farmers receive immediate additional income – up to 30% extra per kg – from selling the pulp and juice byproducts from their cocoa production process they would have typically thrown away.

COUNTRY

The Netherlands

FOUNDED

2020

PARTNERED

2022

MARKET

Food & Beverages

FOUNDERS

Lars Gierveld, Linda Klunder, and Rogiér Power

Summary of our venture engine

In our Venture Engine, we create networks of industry leaders alongside a pool of validated solutions and their founders that can make a tangible change in specific domains. Then we ensure that these founders find traction in their market and are able to deliver upon their solution.

Milestones

2022

Receives seed investment from Unknown Group founders.

2022

Expands to become available in over 1000 locations in 5 countries, including Dutch supermarket giant, Albert Heijn and the largest chain of Dutch department stores, HEMA.

2020

Founded by Lars Gierveld, Linda Klunder and Rogier Power.

Investing in an early stage startup in a market dominated by major players is a bold move. Unknown believes in our ability to change the status quo of the cocoa industry. We’re thrilled to have a professional investor with a global reach and emphasis on impact measurement like Unknown join the Kumasi movement!

LARS GIERVELD, FOUNDER OF KUMASI 

 

Venturers Involved

Hendrik Halbe
Edward de Jager