Dunedin chocolate company OCHO pitches to Supersize SME panel

A craft bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Dunedin, this company has made remarkable strides for itself and the city.

A craft bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Dunedin, this company has made remarkable strides for itself and the city.

OCHO raised $2m of equity in 32 hours through crowdfunding to expand the business and move into larger premises last year.

Founder Liz Rowe Liz began making craft chocolate six years ago after traveling through Mexico and being introduced to cacao beans.

She was working out of a small factory when the news about closing down the Dunedin Cadbury factory was announced.

The Dunedin-based 'Own the Factory' campaign showed there was massive support for keeping chocolate making in the city– and sparked the formation of Dunedin Manufacturing Holdings who helped with the OCHO equity raise. DMH aims to grow Dunedin manufacturing businesses like OCHO.
There are now nearly 3,500 shareholders in OCHO, and a whole new set of challenges for Liz that come with growing rapidly – the move to the new factory in September means production can increase up to ten times what it is now.