Win-Win
Climate-conscious, cocoa-free chocolate alternatives
Executive Summary
Win-Win is a London-based food-tech startup creating cocoa-free chocolate alternatives. They just closed £3M Series A (July 2025), bringing total funding to £8M. They're planning a UK consumer retail launch in 2025 but currently have minimal consumer-facing marketing.
This could be interesting - they have money, momentum, and what appears to be a significant marketing gap before their retail debut.
Company Snapshot
Leadership Team
30+ years FMCG experience (M&S, PepsiCo, Sysco). Hired specifically to scale the business and bring to retail.
View LinkedIn Profile →Former investment banker (NYC/London). Korean-American, fermentation enthusiast. The "business brain" behind the operation.
PhD Materials Science (Oxford). Fermentation expert. Created the chocolate after noticing chocolate aroma from boiling potato skins.
What They're Doing
The Innovation: Cocoa-free chocolate made by fermenting cereals (barley, rice) and legumes (carob) instead of cacao beans.
Product Line:
- Dark chocolate alternative
- Milk chocolate alternative
- Vegan "M.lk" chocolate alternative
- White chocolate alternative
- All available in couverture and compound formats
Environmental Impact:
How It Works: Uses same process as traditional chocolate (fermentation, roasting, grinding, refining) but starts with different ingredients. Patented fermentation process (2 patents).
What We Noticed (Observable Gaps)
Social Media Presence - Notably Small for a Consumer Launch
Context: They have £8M in funding, major B2B partnerships, and are planning a retail launch with a relatively modest social following for a consumer brand.
Website Analysis:
- Strong B2B focus
- Consumer products page says "coming soon"
- Blog content exists but appears infrequent
- No e-commerce currently active
PR Coverage:
- Strong trade/industry press (The Grocer, FoodNavigator, Confectionery Production)
- Limited consumer press visibility
- Coverage tends to focus on funding rounds rather than ongoing product stories
Brand Awareness:
- Created "lookalike" bars of Cadbury, Tony's Chocolonely, Terry's (Sept 2024) for limited DTC release - generated some buzz
- Event at Fortnum & Mason (Sept 2024) during Harvest Week
- Appears to have more awareness in B2B foodtech circles than with consumers
Why The Timing Is Interesting
- Fresh Capital: £3M just landed (July 2025) - budget may be available
- Retail Launch Planned: Consumer products expected in 2025
- New CEO: Mark Golder hired specifically to scale - likely still building strategy
- Market Context: Cocoa prices at all-time highs, chocolate crisis in mainstream news
- Positioning: First-to-market cocoa-free chocolate in UK
Market Context (The Available Story)
The Chocolate Crisis is Current:
- Cocoa prices up 66% in UK, 46% in US (as of 2024)
- Cacao trees struggling with climate change
- 1.5M child laborers in Ghana & Ivory Coast
- 80% of West African rainforest lost since 1990 due to cocoa production
- "Shrinkflation" - chocolate bars getting smaller, consumers noticing
Relevant News Hooks:
- EU deforestation law (makes their product timely)
- Rising chocolate prices
- Climate change impact on cacao crops
This narrative exists in the media, but there's a question of whether they're capitalizing on it with consumers.
Tailoring Your Approach
Different agencies will want to lead with different strengths. Here's how to customize your conversation based on your positioning:
For Purpose-Led/Impact-Focused Agencies:
Your angle: Mission alignment and impact story.
Lead with: The chocolate crisis narrative (deforestation, child labor, climate impact), Win-Win's environmental metrics (80% emissions reduction, water savings), and the opportunity to be part of solving a global sustainability challenge.
For Growth/Performance Marketing Agencies:
Your angle: Business opportunity and market timing.
Lead with: Market size (£100B chocolate industry), first-mover advantage in UK cocoa-free category, fresh funding that needs ROI, and retail launch as critical growth milestone.
For Branding/Creative Agencies:
Your angle: Category creation and emotional connection.
Lead with: Competing against 100+ year-old brands with emotional equity, need to create a new category in consumers' minds, and the founder story (potato skins to chocolate!).
For Social-First/Digital Agencies:
Your angle: Consumer engagement gap.
Lead with: 4,600 Instagram followers vs. £8M funding, retail launch needs community not just awareness, and sustainability story is perfect for social conversation.
Don't see your specialty here? We're building this as we go! If your agency focus isn't covered above, drop us a line at al***@*********cy.news and we'll work with you to customize an approach that fits your strengths.
Key Contacts & Decision Makers
Why reach out: New to role (Jan 2025), hired to scale. He's building the team and strategy NOW.
Focus areas: Growth, retail, commercial partnerships
Connect on LinkedIn →Still actively involved in strategy and decision-making.
Email: sa***@*******in.com
Note: Given Mark is new to the CEO role (less than a year), he may still be building out his team and strategy. Could be good timing for conversations.
Why This Caught Our Attention
- Fresh funding - Just raised £3M
- Time pressure - Retail launch planned for this year
- Apparent gap - Limited consumer brand presence visible
- Compelling story - Chocolate crisis, sustainability, innovation
- Smart team - But possibly missing marketing expertise
- Growth mode - New CEO hired specifically to scale
This isn't a guaranteed win. It's a potential conversation about what appears to be a gap in their current approach.
Follow-Up Resources
Company Information:
- Website: www.eatwinwin.com
- Mark Golder LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markgolder
Social Media:
- Instagram: @winwinchoc
- LinkedIn: Win-Win company page
Recent Coverage:
- New Food Magazine interview with Ahrum Pak (July 2025)
- The Grocer coverage of Series A funding (July 2025)
- Confectionery Production rebrand coverage (Feb 2024)
Bottom Line
Win-Win appears to be a well-funded company with strong B2B traction but limited consumer brand presence ahead of a retail launch. They have capital, partnerships, and a timely story - but consumer awareness seems to be a gap.
If this fits your agency's strengths, it might be worth exploring. They appear to be in planning mode, which could be the right time for a conversation about consumer strategy.