Singapore-based, Temasek-owned food technology company Nurasa, and globally leading provider of chocolate and cocoa solutions Barry Callebaut, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate sustainable chocolate innovation in Asia Pacific.

Singapore-based, Temasek-owned food technology company Nurasa, and globally provider of chocolate and cocoa solutions Barry Callebaut, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate sustainable chocolate innovation in Asia Pacific.

Nurasa said in a statement on Wednesday that the collaboration combines the firm’s open innovation ecosystem and commercial acceleration platform with Barry Callebaut’s global expertise in chocolate and cocoa ingredient development, with the shared goal of co-developing next-generation products tailored to evolving consumer preferences in the region and beyond.

A key ambition of the partnership is to co-create novel chocolate formats that reflect evolving consumer preferences – balancing flavor, functionality, and sustainability.

By pairing Barry Callebaut’s deep expertise in chocolate innovation with Nurasa’s platform and network, the two companies aim to unlock new product opportunities and streamline their journey to market.

This will involve scouting emerging technologies through Nurasa’s ecosystem; rapid prototyping and iterative development in collaboration with partners, and leveraging pilot-scale manufacturing at Nurasa’s Food Tech Innovation Center (FTIC) to accelerate testing and commercial readiness.

Together, the companies seek to bring innovation closer to consumers faster, more sustainably, and at scale.

This partnership builds on Barry Callebaut’s growing innovation presence in Singapore, which includes its Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) headquarters, a regional chocolate factory, and its recently announced Centers of Excellence (CoEs) for Compound and Artificial Intelligence.

According to the statement, Singapore offers a unique convergence of world-class infrastructure, regulatory agility, and proximity to some of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets, making it an ideal base for companies looking to stay ahead of rapidly evolving food trends in Asia and globally.

In a region where consumer preferences are shifting fast, Singapore enables businesses to respond with speed, relevance, and scale, transforming insight into innovation before the moment passes.

Nurasa said the firm plays a central role in this ecosystem.

Through the FTIC launched in 2024, it connects upstream food science with downstream commercialization, offering unique market insights, shared infrastructure, pilot production capabilities, and technical expertise.

Its open innovation model makes it a natural partner for multinationals like Barry Callebaut seeking to co-develop scalable solutions that are both nutritious and culturally resonant.

“Our partnership with Barry Callebaut is about making sustainable nutrition real and faster, now,

“With Nurasa’s open innovation model and Barry Callebaut’s deep expertise, we are creating a strong foundation to co-develop chocolate experiences that are nutritious, scalable, and culturally resonant across Asia and beyond. Together, we are setting a new standard for purposeful, industry-led collaboration,” said Guo Xiuling, Chief Executive Officer of Nurasa.

Vamsi Mohan Thati, President of Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa region, Barry Callebaut, said that as a global leader in cocoa and industrial chocolate manufacturing, the firm continues to push the boundaries of innovation to deliver the best value, solutions, and sustainability for our customers.

“We see great long-term potential in partnering with Nurasa to build scalable solutions for the cocoa and chocolate industries and beyond,” he added.

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