Cocoa Corporation Named “Most Disruptive” Startup in Global Tech Competition
HOLLAND, Mich. (PRWEB) November 06, 2017 -- *Cocoa Corporation makes Cocoa Compost, a high quality humus compost which farmers use as an alternative to chemical fertilizer.
*Cocoa’s environmental benefits include restoring topsoil, sequestering carbon dioxide, eliminating waterway runoff and reducing in greenhouse gases.
*The company is disrupting the organic waste management and chemical fertilizer industries.
On Friday, October 27, 2017, the Global Technology Symposium (GTS) named Cocoa Corporation the winner of the 2017 Global Innovator Competition (GIC). Cocoa’s innovative vision, as well as its unique business model, prevailed with the judges as the “most disruptive” startup among nearly 100 companies from around the world.
Cocoa is simultaneously disrupting the $300 billion organic waste management industry and the $116 billion chemical fertilizer industry. Cocoa transforms organic waste typically dumped into landfills by municipalities and manufacturers into high quality humus compost (HQHC), reducing chemical fertilizer used by commercial farms. Cocoa Compost restores healthy farm soil and increases crop yields.
Cocoa bested a variety of exciting competitors, including practical solutions to create hydro energy, drones for agriculture, crowd-funding music events and even a company that promised eternal life.
“The competition in the 2017 GIC was fierce, and we’re honored to being voted the 2017 winner,” said Adam Brent, founder and CEO of Cocoa Corporation. “Winning validates our vision of disrupting two of the largest industries in the world. By making HQHC available to conventional farmers in order to create healthy soil, we have a formula that grows more food, saves our environment while creating a highly profitable business model.”
Cocoa’s business model is extraordinary because there are few businesses in the world that are being paid to take people’s waste and transform it into an environmentally beneficial product. Cocoa’s remarkable environmental benefits include the following:
- Restoring topsoil: In 10 weeks Cocoa creates HQHC which farmers use as an alternative to chemical fertilizer. Cocoa Compost restores the topsoil which has been eroded by years of excessive chemical fertilizer use; research from the United Nations’ FAO shows two to three percent of topsoil is eroding each year. Germany is forecasted to have only 20 years left before there is no more arable soil. The US is projected to have no more than 60 years of topsoil.
- Sequestering carbon dioxide: Cocoa creates healthy, loamy soil. Healthy soil sequesters two tons of carbon dioxide each year per acre. Soil which is subjected to excessive chemical fertilizing practices burns out the soil carbons and releases carbon dioxide instead of sequestering it. Cocoa’s goal is to redirect as much organic waste which is currently dumped into landfills and convert it into Cocoa Compost for the millions of acres of farmland.
- Restoring fresh waterways and eliminating waterway runoff: Waterway runoff from chemically fertilized land is the largest source of nonpoint source (NPS) water pollution in the world. However by building healthier soil, microbes and vibrant plant roots trap the chemical fertilizer in the soil for use by crops, and then the excess nutrients do not wash away when it rains.
- Reduction in greenhouse gases: Cocoa’s business model dramatically disrupts the production of greenhouse gases by removing organic waste from landfills. Twenty-three percent of the world’s nitrous oxide (one of the most virulent greenhouse gases) is produced by the use of chemical fertilizer. In addition, 18 percent of the world’s methane gas (another potent greenhouse gas) is emitted by organic waste dumped into landfills.
“The GTS is delighted to bestow the Global Innovator Award to Cocoa Corporation, the maker of Cocoa Compost. Our competition showcases many of the most promising global startups with bold ideas and great potential,” said Christopher Stone, managing director of the GTS. “Winning the competition is a prestigious honor, and we believe Cocoa Corporation is one startup that investors should watch closely.”
The judges were so impressed with the company's business model that Cocoa advanced directly to the semi-finals where 16 judges evaluated each company. Four companies were advanced to the finals where a panel of six Silicon Valley venture capitalists made the final decision. Cocoa’s Kathy Kennedy served as the lead presenter.
International and US startups competed for four days before a panel of Silicon Valley venture capital and financial leaders. The award is annually given to the startup with the most industry disruptive business plan in the world.
About Cocoa Corporation
Cocoa Corporation is a leader in manufacturing high quality, humus compost. For organic waste producers, including municipalities, packaged goods manufacturers and farms, Cocoa provides a sustainable way to dispose of waste. Using trade secrets and proprietary methods, in ten weeks Cocoa converts the waste into compost through an odorless process in compliance with state and local guidelines. Cocoa sells the premium compost product to conventional farmers and landscapers to increase harvest yields, reduce costs and build healthy soil. By building healthy soil, Cocoa’s compost has a material positive impact on climate change, including sequestering carbons, reducing greenhouse gases, and preventing waterway runoff. Cocoa’s motto is “Better Earth. Better Yields.” Founded in 2011, the company is based in Holland, Michigan. To learn more about the company visit http://www.cocoa-corp.com.
Public Relations Office, Cocoa Corporation, +1 7733860126, [email protected]
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