FasterCapital Backs PNC to Transform Cocoa Value Chain and Boost Farmer Incomes
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire Central African Republic & Dubai, UAE - Sep 14, 2025
National Platform of Cooperatives (PNC) and FasterCapital announce a strategic partnership through the EquityPilot program to accelerate PNC’s move from raw cocoa exports to local processing, starting immediately in Côte d’Ivoire, to increase farmer incomes and scale certified, traceable cocoa products.
Market opportunity & problem statement
The global cocoa market is shifting toward sustainable, traceable, value-added products with rising demand in Africa and Europe. Côte d’Ivoire supplies roughly 40% of world cocoa yet exports most beans unprocessed, leaving value on the table and limiting farmer earnings. Fragmented cooperatives, limited local processing, and scarce financing create a white space for an integrated cooperative-led processor that secures certification, traceability and local transformation.
Startup solution & differentiation
PNC federates 200+ cooperatives to provide aggregated sourcing, governance strengthening, and certification support while building phased processing: butter/paste (phase 1) and finished chocolate (phase 2). PNC’s digital traceability platform will connect farm-level data to buyers, enabling premium pricing for certified lots. Early operations project 5,000 tons in Year 1 with progressive processing to 50% by Year 5. PNC’s cooperative network, social program (“One Farmer, One House”) and focus on semi-industrial, scalable units create a defensible position versus multinationals and traders.
FasterCapital partnership value
Selected for the EquityPilot cohort, PNC will receive strategic mentoring, go-to-market support, prototype investment guidance and capital-raising assistance from FasterCapital. FasterCapital’s selective criteria and global investor network validate PNC’s model and expedite access to private investors, CSR partners and sustainability funds. The partnership targets operational milestones: cooperative strengthening and certification in Year 1-2, unit commissioning in Year 2-4, and chocolate product launch by Year 4-5.
Executive quotes “Hesham Zreik, managing partner at FasterCapital, said: “PNC addresses a critical gap in the cocoa value chain with a scalable cooperative-first model. We backed PNC because it combines strong local leadership, measurable social impact and a clear route to premium, traceable cocoa products exactly the profile EquityPilot aims to accelerate.”
Arnold Midjo, PNC founder, added: “This partnership accelerates our vision to return value to cocoa farmers through local processing and traceability. FasterCapital brings the capital access, technical guidance and international validation we need to scale sustainably and deliver measurable income gains to farmers.””
Growth trajectory & future plans
PNC aims to strengthen 200 cooperatives, commission two processing units and deploy its digital marketing/traceability platform within five years. Near-term priorities: certification, warehouse networks and a semi-industrial paste/butter unit. Funding target: $1M to join EquityPilot acceleration activities and unlock further investment rounds for infrastructure (10 billion FCFA projected). Long-term goal: process 30%+ of locally collected cocoa and lift farmer income by 25%.
About National Platform of Cooperatives (PNC)
PNC federates cocoa cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire to improve production, governance and market access. Founded by Arnold Midjo, PNC’s mission is to increase farmer incomes through certification, local processing and social programs such as “One Farmer, One House.”
About FasterCapital
FasterCapital is a global startup accelerator and investor offering programs such as EquityPilot to scale high-impact ventures with mentorship, technical resources and investor networks. FasterCapital has a track record of selective partnerships that bridge early-stage startups to growth capital.