CocoTerra has developed the first fully-automated tabletop chocolate maker. The CocoTerra machine makes dark, milk, and white chocolate in one unified appliance. Users can easily customize and personalize their chocolate with different flavors and designs. We are fortunate to have CocoTerra as part of the SOLIDWORKS for Startups program.
I sat down with founder, Nate Saal and lead hardware engineer, Chuck McCall, to find out more about their chocolate-making company, how they use SOLIDWORKS, and the next steps in business development.
With a background in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Nate wanted his customers to take the raw sustainable-sourced ingredients and build chocolate from the ground up. As one innovative home appliance, CocoTerra combines multiple steps in chocolate production, including heating and cooling, grinding and refining with a ball mill, and molding into a centrifugal chamber to produce a ring of chocolate.
Chuck McCall described the SOLIDWORKS assembly used in their latest product iteration. Controlling temperature through the multi-stage chocolate producing process is key.
Chuck learned SOLIDWORKS while a student at Stanford University and as the lead engineer for CocoTerra applied for SOLIDWORKS for Startups program.
As I talked with Nate, I realized that someone like me, who loves dark chocolate, baking and cooking, but has no experience in chocolate production, could actually control ingredients like sugar, nuts, and the coco nibs. Coco nibs from the cacao bean, cocoa butter, and sugar are the foundation ingredients of chocolate. These coco nibs are sustainablely sourced.
Another audience for CocoTerra is outside the home kitchen. Hundreds of skilled chocolate artisans, makers, and chefs create custom chocolates with unique recipes and add-ins.
CocoTerra is also used by global chocolate brands and R&D labs for rapid product development. Small batches can be made in 2 hours so multiple modifications and tastings can occur in 1 day – reducing the time to create new products.
There is a great blog that publishes everything about chocolate, delicious recipes, and CocoTerra’s global Chocolate Conference Exhibits.
If you are looking to make something special in your kitchen, try one of their recipes that uses store-bought high quality baking chocolate or cocoa powder, like Chocolate Coulant or Lava Cake.
For the next round of funding, Nate is expanding the global chocolate brand product development. Interested investors can contact Nate through the CocoTerra.com.
CocoTerra can make anyone a creative, successful, and proud chocolate maker. Thank you, Nate and Chuck for being part of the SOLIDWORKS for Startups program and sharing your vision with the SOLIDWORKS community.
Design well, Marie