Mind the Tech NY
"We’re developing climate-controlled cocoa that can be delivered year-round "
"At Kokomodo, our cocoa is consistent, traceable, and has a 'clean label,” said Tal Govrin, winner of the Yazamiyot competition, held as part of the female entrepreneur event at the Calcalist and Leumi New York 2026 Mind the Tech conference. “It can be grown anywhere in the world - even here, in New York."
Tal Govrin
(Reyan Preuss, Tomeriko, Live Focus)
"When I founded Proximo, I often found myself the only woman in the room. It wasn't always easy, but it made me even more determined to succeed and help others along the way. That's why communities like Yazamiyot are so important. They create opportunities, support, and real momentum for women founders. Tal Govrin, co-founder and CEO of Kokomodo, the winner of the Yazamiyot competition in Israel represents this spirit," said Yafit Keret, CEO of ERB Proximo, introducing the winner of the competition at the Yazamiyot event at Calcalist and Leumi’s Mind the Tech New York 2026 conference.
"My story with cocoa began 10 years ago and my daughter was part of cocoa's healthy journey," says Gםvrin. "Cocoa is not only sweet, it also has a dark side. Traditional cocoa farming is destructive. It causes massive deforestation and child exploitation. In addition, the climate crisis is harming crops. In 20 years, most cocoa lands will be unfit for production. Cocoa is also the plant with the highest greenhouse gas emissions, second only to beef.
“But cocoa is much more than an ingredient for chocolate. It’s actually a nutritional ‘powerhouse’ that supports heart health, skin, energy, healthy aging, and more. So how can we protect this ‘food as medicine’? At Kokomodo, we’re developing climate-controlled cocoa that can be delivered year-round. It’s consistent, traceable, and ‘clean-label.’ It can be grown anywhere in the world—even here in New York.”
"How do we do it? Instead of one tree depending on nature, we start from scratch and harvest cocoa every few days. Our agricultural technology consists of four steps: selecting the best cocoa cells, growing the cells under optimal conditions, using reactors, and adapting the cocoa for various applications."
"As a B2B company, we address huge markets. Consumers want ingredients they can trust, and brands need a stable supply. We already collaborate with multinational brands like Mars and Mondelēz and are now paving our way to the US market. Most importantly – everything is done in perfect harmony; the same recipe and the same production process.
"I am proud to say that 50% of the team at Kokomodo are women. We combine science, technology and business with over 18 years of cumulative experience. Our impact is enormous: with one reactor, we can produce the equivalent of 750 trees in nature – without deforestation, without child labor, without heavy metals and with minimal water."
Watch her full remarks in the video above.
