Rizek Cacao
Rizek Cacao is the Dominican Republic's largest fine and flavor cacao processor and exporter. Founded in 1905, it serves global premium chocolate manufacturers, craft makers, and prosumers with vertically integrated beans, nibs, mass, butter, and powder through its CETICO post-harvest processing center.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1905
- HeadquartersSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Rizek Cacao does
Rizek Cacao is a Dominican Republic-based, family-owned cacao processor and exporter founded in 1905 and currently led by its fourth and fifth generations of the Rizek family, with H\u00e9ctor J. Rizek Llabaly serving as President. The company operates a vertically integrated model spanning proprietary farms (including La Esmeralda in San Francisco de Macor\u00eds), the CETICO post-harvest processing center with scientifically grounded fermentation and drying protocols, and the in-house Rizek-named cacao clones developed through grafting. Its core products are five cacao ingredient forms — beans, nibs, mass, butter, and powder — alongside consumer-facing brands Kahkow, Kahkow USA, and Rizek Essentials, plus experiential offerings El Sendero del Cacao and Kahkow Experience.
The company primarily serves global premium and craft chocolate manufacturers (with named enterprise relationships including Valrhona and Meiji), as well as craft makers and prosumers reached through its Brooklyn concept store and e-commerce channel. A direct-trade farmer network of more than 6,000 producers is organized through the FUPAROCA Foundation, which provides free technical assistance and organic transition support, underpinning supply security and the company's broad certification stack (USDA Organic, UTZ, Fair Trade, BioSuisse, JAS, EU Organic, Rainforest Alliance, Naturland, Kosher, BASC, BEVEG, HACCP). Revenue is generated through three streams: B2B export of cacao beans and derivatives (the primary stream), D2C retail and e-commerce under the Kahkow and Rizek Essentials brands, and chocolate tourism. The company's go-to-market combines enterprise field sales for strategic B2B partnerships with experiential marketing at farm and urban venues.
Rizek Cacao firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rizek Cacao
- Legal name
- Rizek Cacao S.A.S.
- Website
- https://rizekcacao.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1905
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Rizek Cacao is the Dominican Republic's largest fine and flavor cacao processor and exporter. Founded in 1905, it serves global premium chocolate manufacturers, craft makers, and prosumers with vertically integrated beans, nibs, mass, butter, and powder through its CETICO post-harvest processing center.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rizek Cacao industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cacao Processing and Export
- NAICS
- Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113)
- SIC
- Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee & Cacao Plantations (Coffee, Cocoa) (AFAGACAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons) (THAFAFAL), Bakery & Confectionery Wholesale (AFAIABAG)
Keywords
Where Rizek Cacao is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santo Domingo
- HQ country
- Dominican Republic
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Rizek Cacao business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cacao Bean and Product Export: Primary revenue from processing and exporting fine/flavor cacao beans and derivatives (nibs, mass, butter, powder) to chocolate manufacturers worldwide.
- Kahkow Retail Products: Sale of chocolate products and cacao ingredients through Kahkow brand retail stores and e-commerce platform.
- Chocolate Tourism: Revenue from farm tours (El Sendero del Cacao) and chocolate experience centers.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Rizek Cacao product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rizek Cacao processes and exports fine and flavor organic cacao beans and derivatives (nibs, mass, butter, powder) from its Dominican Republic farms and proprietary CETICO post-harvest facility to industrial chocolate manufacturers worldwide. It complements this B2B ingredient business with the Kahkow consumer brand (craft chocolate retail, e-commerce, Brooklyn concept store), Rizek Essentials tailor-made cacao recipes, and educational cacao/chocolate tourism experiences.
Product overview
Rizek Cacao is a vertically integrated cacao company offering a portfolio of cocoa ingredients and consumer-facing brands. The core product line consists of five cacao ingredient forms: Cacao Beans, Cacao Nibs, Cacao Mass, Cacao Butter, and Cacao Powder — all sourced from the Dominican Republic. Complementing the B2B ingredient business are consumer-facing sub-brands including Kahkow (craft chocolate retail), Kahkow USA (Brooklyn concept store), Rizek Essentials (tailor-made cacao recipes), and experiential offerings El Sendero del Cacao (farm tourism) and Kahkow Experience (chocolate-making workshops). The FUPAROCA Foundation supports agricultural rehabilitation and farmer community development. The company positions itself as the largest fine and flavor cacao processor and exporter in the Dominican Republic, with a heritage dating to 1905.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cacao Beans Highly distinctive organic cacao beans directly sourced from the Dominican Republic's finest growing regions, serving as the essential ingredient for premium single-origin chocolate production by industrial and craft chocolate makers.
- Cacao Nibs Fermented, dried, roasted, and crushed cacao nibs representing one of the purest forms of cacao consumption, with a distinctive astringent taste and crunchy texture for use by chocolate makers and food producers.
- Cacao Mass Organic single-origin cacao mass made from Rizek's distinctive bean profiles, natural and sugar-free, supplied to chocolate manufacturers as a foundational chocolate-making ingredient.
- Cacao Butter Natural, premium pressed cacao butter, positioned as a noble vegetable fat retaining much of the antioxidant benefits of cacao, supplied to chocolate manufacturers and cosmetics/food producers.
- Cacao Powder Natural, organic, dark, sugar-free cacao powder derived from processing Rizek cacao beans, supplied to chocolate, bakery, beverage, and food manufacturers.
- Kahkow Retail Brand Kahkow is the company's consumer craft chocolate brand offering chocolates, workshops, and farm-to-bar experiences for individual consumers and small-scale chocolate makers in the Dominican Republic.
- Kahkow USA Concept Store A concept store, workshop, and retail space in Brooklyn, New York, showcasing the farm-to-bar industry and serving as a one-stop-shop for craft chocolate makers and prosumers seeking the finest cacao ingredients.
- Rizek Essentials A line of highly distinctive cacao beans combined with the unique capacity to tailor-make cacao bean recipes for and with clients, available across processing stages including beans, nibs, mass, butter, or powder, targeted at professional and prosumer chocolate makers.
- El Sendero del Cacao (Farm Tourism) Interactive and educational cacao and chocolate tourism tours at the La Esmeralda farm in San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic, welcoming visitors from around the world since 2008.
- Kahkow Experience (Urban Chocolate Tourism) Urban chocolate experience and chocolate-making tours in Santo Domingo's colonial city where families and visitors learn about chocolate making and create their own chocolate bar with favorite inclusions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tailor-made cacao profiles with flavor diversity comparable to distinct wine varieties
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rizek Cacao
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rizek Cacao technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Rizek Cacao partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FUPAROCA FoundationcoreFUPAROCA (Fundación de Productores de Cacao Orgánico) was launched in 2001 by Nazario Rizek after Hurricane George to help renew small cacao farms. Officially incorporated as a foundation by Presidential decree in 2004. Provides free technical assistance to farmers for improving yields and quality, and transitioning to organic farming. Rizek Cacao works with over 6,000 affiliated farmers through this foundation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Rizek Cacao competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Valrhona: Premium French chocolate manufacturer and cocoa processor known for single-origin couvertures. Both a named Rizek customer and a direct comparable as a fine-flavor cacao processor focused on distinctive, traceable beans for premium chocolatiers, though Valrhona sells finished chocolate couvertures rather than primarily B2B ingredients.
- Cacao Barry (Callebaut): Premium chocolate brand under Barry Callebaut specializing in single-origin and high-flavor couvertures for pastry chefs and artisans. Comparable as a fine-flavor cacao processor and brand selling distinctive, terroir-driven cacao products to professional chocolate makers, with Rizek supplying rather than competing against in the artisanal channel.
- Taza Chocolate: Stone-ground, bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker sourcing direct-trade, organic cacao from the Dominican Republic and other origins. Comparable as a premium craft chocolate company built on Dominican-origin fine cacao, though Taza focuses on finished bars while Rizek focuses on upstream cacao processing and B2B ingredients.
- Guittard Chocolate: Family-owned, fifth-generation American chocolate maker and cocoa processor serving both B2B craft chocolatiers and consumers. Comparable as a heritage, family-led fine-flavor cocoa processor with proprietary fermentation expertise and B2B ingredient focus, though based in California rather than the Dominican Republic.
Emerging players
- Dandelion Chocolate: Single-origin bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker with cafés in San Francisco, Tokyo, and Seoul. Comparable as a premium craft chocolate brand built around distinctive, traceable single-origin cacao, though Dandelion is a finished-product maker rather than a cacao processor/exporter like Rizek.
Broad incumbents
- Olam Cocoa (ofi): Major cocoa processor and ingredient supplier with deep origin presence in cocoa-growing regions. Comparable as a vertically-integrated processor selling cocoa beans, mass, butter, and powder to global chocolate and food manufacturers; Rizek competes in the same fine/flavor sourcing and processing niche but at much smaller scale.
- ECOM Cocoa: One of the world's largest cocoa processors and merchants, with origin operations across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Comparable as a global cacao processor that buys from farmer networks and supplies chocolate manufacturers, though Rizek is differentiated by its fine/flavor focus versus ECOM's broader commodity exposure.
- Barry Callebaut: World's largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturer, vertically integrated from bean sourcing through industrial chocolate production. Comparable as a global cacao processor and supplier of chocolate manufacturers, though operating at vastly larger scale and across commodity as well as premium segments.
- Cargill Cocoa: Major cocoa bean processor and supplier of cocoa and chocolate ingredients to global food manufacturers. Comparable as a vertically-integrated processor sourcing from farmer networks and selling fermented, dried cacao and derivatives to chocolate makers worldwide.
Others
- Meiji Holdings: Major Japanese confectionery and chocolate company. Comparable as a named Rizek B2B customer and one of Asia's largest chocolate manufacturers sourcing fine cacao from the Dominican Republic; not a direct competitor, but an important downstream buyer of Rizek's cacao profile.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rizek Cacao social profiles
Digital presenceRizek Cacao compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance13 records
Rizek Cacao financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rizek Cacao leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Rizek Cacao subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Rizek Cacao funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rizek Cacao M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rizek Cacao
What does Rizek Cacao do?
Rizek Cacao processes and exports fine and flavor organic cacao beans and derivatives (nibs, mass, butter, powder) from its Dominican Republic farms and proprietary CETICO post-harvest facility to industrial chocolate manufacturers worldwide. It complements this B2B ingredient business with the Kahkow consumer brand (craft chocolate retail, e-commerce, Brooklyn concept store), Rizek Essentials tailor-made cacao recipes, and educational cacao/chocolate tourism experiences.
Is Rizek Cacao a public or private company?
Rizek Cacao is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Rizek Cacao founded?
Rizek Cacao was founded in 1905. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Rizek Cacao based?
Rizek Cacao is headquartered in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in the Latin America region.
How does Rizek Cacao make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cacao Bean and Product Export is the primary driver. The others are kahkow Retail Products and chocolate Tourism.
Who are Rizek Cacao's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Valrhona, Cacao Barry (Callebaut), Taza Chocolate and Guittard Chocolate. Dandelion Chocolate is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Olam Cocoa (ofi), ECOM Cocoa, Barry Callebaut and Cargill Cocoa. Meiji Holdings is listed as an others.
Does Rizek Cacao have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rizek Cacao.
What industry is Rizek Cacao in?
Rizek Cacao's product category is Cacao Processing and Export. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGACAI, Coffee & Cacao Plantations (Coffee, Cocoa), with a secondary code of THAFAFAL, Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons). Its NAICS code is 311351 and its SIC code is 2060.