Chocolate 3D printing firm Cocoa Press advances its operations with a previous Prusa leader.

Willy Wonka, step aside, chocolate printing is getting a major glow-up. Cocoa Press Founder Ellie Rose has been gathering some big-name talent to her tasty startup since its launch in 2023. Cocoa Press developed the initial consumer-grade 3D printer capable of printing delicious chocolate snacks without requiring a cooling compartment. During the previous year, Rose purchased Print Kits from Alien3D, which was previously called MakerBox. Print Kits operates as a recurring membership that supplies blueprints, mechanical parts, and filament specimens for creating surprise 3D printing tasks.

Lately, she recruited Matt Stultz as Chief Operating Officer and Caleb Kraft as Box Manager for The Print Kits subscription offering. Stultz contributes professional expertise from Prusa, MakerBot, and LightBurn. Kraft previously served as the editor for Make Magazine and remains a regular fixture at Maker Faire gatherings and within the DIY community.

This week, Cocoa Press welcomed David Randolph to the team as CEO. Randolph recently stepped down from Printed Solid, the American manufacturing arm of Prusa Research. He brings 10 years of valuable experience from the business side of 3D printing, having scaled Print Solid from a small 3D printing supplier to a filament and printer manufacturer. Printed Solid currently assembles Prusa MK4s and CORE One 3D printers. Under Randolph’s guidance, the company was working toward the coveted “MADE in the USA” designation for the European printers.

Rose will stay on as founder and CTO for both Cocoa Press and Print Kits. She said that hiring Randolph to guide the company will allow her time to focus on new product development. Cocoa Press has been a labor of love for Rose, having started the project as an engineering student and finally taking it full-time in 2019.

Randolph and Rose have collaborated on previous occasions. The distinct hues of Cocoa Press were reproduced in PETG by Printed Solid and are utilized for manufacturing components of the Voron-style printer.

Randolph will oversee both companies, with the intention of growing each into mainstream products.

"David has an uncanny ability to take an idea to market that expresses a personal experience for not only the consumers but for the DIY and maker communities at large," said Rose. While we grow Cocoa Press and broaden our network, David’s expertise in local production and client-centered guidance is precisely what is required to introduce 3D chocolate printing to kitchens, schools and makerspaces Everywhere.

"I’ve spent the last nine years building a foundation for 3D printing in the U.S.," said Randolph. "Cocoa Press and Print Kits represent the next evolution of that journey, taking the 'joy of making' and applying it to entirely new mediums. I am excited to work with this talented team to streamline our operations and show the world that whether it's plastic or chocolate, the future is printed."

The Cocoa Press currently retails for $1,499 is available as a do-it-yourself assembly. It can print almost any chocolate placed in its warmed compartment, though using uniquely formulated “cocoa cores” of dark, white, or milk chocolate is suggested, retailing for $49 each. During our evaluation, we assigned it 4.5 stars for its creativity and granted it an Editor's Choice for being among the best 3D printers produced that year.

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