CAROBOU

What CAROBOU does

CAROBOU, doing business as carobmē, is a privately-held food and beverage company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Colville, United States, that manufactures premium organic, vegan, small-batch carob-based confectionery products positioned as a chocolate alternative. The product portfolio comprises organic carob chips (semi-sweet and unsweetened), the six-SKU Aussie Sharkbar™ bar line (Original, Koala Krunch, Almonds, Outback Mint, Unsweetened, and Unsweetened Almonds), carob-covered nuts (peanuts and almonds), and a small branded apparel line (the Carob Cap). All products are made from single-origin Australian organic sweet carobs sourced under an exclusive partnership with The Australian Carob Co., produced in small batches emphasizing traceability from Australian farm to finished product. The company holds USDA Organic, Oregon Tilth Certified Organic, Kosher, and Certified Vegan certifications, and its products are additionally positioned as gluten-free, caffeine-free, and soy-free.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce through a Shopify storefront at carobme.com, with carob bars priced at $20.97-$23.97 (sale/regular), free FedEx 2-Day shipping on orders above $100 USD, and a 20% first-order discount (WELCOME20) for email subscribers. A 30-day money-back guarantee backs every order. Customer acquisition is driven by organic social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn, a recipes content blog, and an email newsletter, with no paid acquisition, wholesale, or retail distribution disclosed.

CAROBOU targets three primary segments: health-conscious consumers seeking organic, gluten-free, and soy-free alternatives; vegans and plant-based consumers seeking chocolate substitutes aligned with their dietary lifestyle; and individuals with chocolate sensitivities, allergies, or caffeine-avoidance needs. The company holds registered trademarks for CAROBOU and aussie sharkbar™. Operating headcount is in the 1-10 range, no institutional funding has been disclosed, and the storefront supports five non-English localizations (Spanish, French, Arabic, Italian, German) indicating intent to address international demand beyond the U.S. customer base.

Name

CAROBOU

Website

https://carobou.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CAROBOU (carobmē) is a privately-held U.S. DTC food company, founded in 2015, that manufactures premium organic, vegan, small-batch carob-based confectionery—chips, bars, and nuts—as a chocolate alternative for health-conscious, vegan, and chocolate-sensitive consumers via its Shopify e-commerce storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Carob Confectionery

NAICS

Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Better-for-You / Functional Snacks (Low Sugar, Keto, Probiotic, Fortified) (CRADABAM)

Keywords

• Organic carob products
• Vegan confectionery
• Chocolate alternatives
• Plant-based snacks
• Health food bars

Headquarters

HQ city

Colville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of carob-based products including chips, bars, and nuts through their e-commerce website. Products are sold at fixed unit prices with free shipping on orders over $100 USD.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CAROBOU (doing business as carobmē) manufactures and sells premium organic vegan carob-based confectionery products including carob chips, carob bars (Aussie Sharkbar® line), and carob-covered nuts, positioned as a modern intelligent chocolate alternative. Products are crafted from single origin Australian organic sweet carobs in small batches and are USDA Certified Organic, Oregon Tilth certified, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, caffeine-free, and soy-free. Sales are conducted direct-to-consumer through the company's own Shopify e-commerce storefront at carobme.com.

Product overview

CAROBOU (carobmē) is a food and beverage company specializing in premium organic vegan carob-based products positioned as a modern intelligent chocolate alternative. The product portfolio includes: (1) Organic Carob Chips available in semi-sweet and unsweetened varieties, sold as direct chocolate substitutes; (2) The Aussie Sharkbar® product line featuring six distinct carob bar flavors including Koala Krunch, Original, Almonds, Outback Mint, Unsweetened, and Unsweetened Almonds; (3) Carob Nuts featuring carob-covered nuts; and (4) branded Apparel including the Carob Cap. All products are crafted from single-origin Australian organic sweet carobs, produced in small batches, and are certified USDA Organic, Oregon Tilth Organic, and Kosher, while also meeting vegan, gluten-free, caffeine-free, and soy-free standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Carob Chips Organic vegan carob chips available in semi-sweet and unsweetened varieties, sold as a chocolate substitute for individuals seeking caffeine-free, soy-free, gluten-free alternatives to chocolate.
• Aussie Sharkbar® Original Carob Bar Original flavor premium organic vegan carob bar, the flagship product in the Aussie Sharkbar® line.
• Aussie Sharkbar® Koala Krunch Carob Bar Premium organic vegan carob chocolate bar featuring Koala Krunch flavor.
• Aussie Sharkbar® Almonds Carob Bar Premium organic vegan carob chocolate bar with almonds added for texture and flavor.
• Aussie Sharkbar® Outback Mint Carob Bar Premium organic vegan carob chocolate bar with mint flavor, offering a refreshing chocolate-free alternative to mint chocolate.
• Aussie Sharkbar® Unsweetened Carob Bar Unsweetened premium organic vegan carob chocolate bar for consumers avoiding added sugars.
• Aussie Sharkbar® Unsweetened Almonds Carob Bar Unsweetened premium organic vegan carob chocolate bar with almonds, combining sugar-free and nut-based options.
• Carob Nuts Carob-covered nuts including peanuts, providing a chocolate-free snack alternative with a sweet carob coating.
• Carob Cap / Apparel Branded apparel items including the Carob Cap featuring carobmē branding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% money-back guaranteed within 30 days

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Australian Carob Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAROBOU serves as the exclusive partner of The Australian Carob Co., providing access to the world's best quality, best tasting premium new generation sweet organic carobs from Australia. This partnership ensures a single-origin supply chain from Australian organic carob farms.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Alter Eco: Organic, fair-trade chocolate and snack brand with US distribution across natural and mainstream grocery. Comparable as a values-driven premium confectionery brand offering similar dietary certifications (organic, vegan, gluten-free) competing for the same health-conscious shopper.
• Hu Kitchen: Better-for-you chocolate and snack brand offering paleo, vegan, and refined-sugar-free chocolate bars and baking products. Comparable as a premium 'chocolate alternative' competitor operating at greater scale, with broader retail distribution including Whole Foods and Target.
• Endangered Species Chocolate: Premium ethical chocolate brand sold across natural and mainstream grocery in the US, with vegan, gluten-free, and fair-trade SKUs. Comparable as a values-driven confectionery brand occupying adjacent shelf space; carob bars offer a non-cocoa alternative within the same health-conscious retail channel.
• Lily's Sweets: Stevia-sweetened, no-sugar-added chocolate brand (bars, chips, baking products) owned by Hershey. Comparable as a better-for-you confectionery alternative distributed widely through mainstream grocery; competes for the same health-conscious buyer with a chocolate (not carob) base.
• Justin's: Better-for-you nut butter, nut butter cups, and snack brand with strong natural foods and mainstream distribution. Comparable on premium snack positioning, allergen-conscious attributes (gluten-free, non-GMO), and use of nut-based inclusions overlapping with carob bar flavors.
• Unreal Snacks: Better-for-you confectionery brand offering chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, and snacks with lower sugar and clean ingredients at national retail scale. Comparable as a premium 'chocolate done better' competitor pursuing the same health-conscious buyer with mass-market distribution.

Emerging players

• Raaka Chocolate: Organic, vegan, and direct-trade specialty chocolate maker selling bean-to-bar products through DTC and select retailers. Comparable as a small-batch premium confectionery brand using organic certifications and a values-driven narrative, though focused on chocolate rather than carob.

Direct peers

• Caroboo: Premium carob bar brand positioning itself as a healthier chocolate substitute, with vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free attributes. Closely comparable product format (bars, similar flavors), DTC e-commerce model, and target buyer (chocolate-sensitive, health-conscious consumers).
• Carob Kitchen: Australian carob-focused confectionery brand selling carob bars, chips, and powders as chocolate alternatives. Directly comparable as a carob-only product line targeting similar health-conscious and dietary-restricted consumers, though sourcing Australian carob domestically rather than exporting.

Regional players

• Pacari Chocolate: Ecuadorian organic, vegan, and gluten-free premium chocolate brand with international distribution focused on Latin American and European markets. Comparable as a premium, certified, single-origin specialty confectionery competitor operating across global DTC and natural food channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarobouCo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@carobme
• Facebookfacebook.com/vegancarobchocolate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carobou
• Instagraminstagram.com/carobmecarob

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAROBOU