IoT Fermentation Monitoring

GO
cacao

Temperature monitoring that identifies
when to turn the beans.

A $100 probe that logs temperature every minute and alerts the farmer when the ferment is ready to turn. The timing of that turn determines the quality of the batch, and is conventionally judged by experience.

+20.3% More fully brown beans — independently graded

$100 vs $5,000 industry alternatives

5T Cacao processed across 8 Thai sites

Advised by Asst. Prof. Dr. Tansiphorn Na Nan — Chulalongkorn University, ISTC

The Technology See Validation →

GOcacao app — live fermentation monitoring dashboard

The Problem

Farmers capture 5–7% of what a chocolate bar sells for. Fermentation determines most of the rest.

Farmers can upskill and ferment. Almost none do. It takes years to learn, every attempt risks a week of work, and smallholders cannot absorb a failed batch. So they sell wet beans at the bottom of the chain.

GOcacao addresses that gap. In the graded trials, monitored batches scored higher than those fermented traditionally, over a shorter ferment. Producers obtain a more consistent supply, so the incentives at both ends of the chain align.

See the Impact Data →

0% Fully brown beans

87.25 beans per 100 against a traditional mean of 72.5 — the grade buyers price against

+23.2% Grade 4 fissuring

85 beans with GOcacao against 69 fermented traditionally

−55.2% Batch-to-batch variation

Grade 4 fissuring CV, 22.67% down to 10.17%

7% Faster fermentation

A shorter ferment, with no loss in quality

The Device

How the device works

01 — Measure

Continuous Monitoring

A food-grade stainless probe logs temperature every minute for the whole ferment — the full curve, not spot readings. Runs off a wall plug, needs no internet at the site, exports to CSV.

02 — Compute

Dynamic Adaptive Algorithm

A dynamic adaptive algorithm tracks the rolling peak and confirms a sustained drop, so it fires on the shape of the curve rather than a fixed threshold.

03 — Alert

Smart Intervention Alerts

App notification and an onboard LED, so it works whether or not the site has signal. The farmer sets the threshold per batch.

Independent Validation

Independent grading

Four monitored batches and four fermented traditionally, cut and graded by a third-party professional cacao bean grading authority.

GOcacao batch 87.25

Traditional mean 72.5

Fully brown beans per 100 — a 20.3% improvement.

Full Validation Data →

−55.2% batch-to-batch
variation

Independent cut-test evaluation
Third-party cacao bean grading authority
Grade 4 fissuring CV — 10.17% vs 22.67% (−55.2%)
n = 4 monitored, 4 traditional
Deployment — 8 sites, 5 tonnes, Thailand

Recognised By

Grand Prize + Gold

CNX FINEX Innovation Competition

Gold Award

WICO — World Invention Competition & Exhibition

Gold Award

Asian Youth Innovation — Malaysian Tech Expo

Finalist

Diamond Challenge — University of Delaware

Top 100

Emerging Innovator 2025 — University of Delaware

3rd Place