Cacao Prietro

Cacao Prietro might be one of the most interesting investments that I have ever made.  Cacao Prietro is the brainchild of Daniel Preston.  This is Daniels third entrepreneurial endeavor the others being lightbulbs and jet packs for the armed forces.  That alone has to pique your interest. 

Daniel has family in the Dominican Republic and through his travels there he became interested in the cacao plant.  Daniel has an incredibly curious as well as analytical mind and he began to drill down on the properties of the cacao plant.  Fast forward, he is producing chocolate ( which is exceptionally delicious ) from the beans that the company owns.  What is interesting about this is most of the new chocolate companies that are on the market have to buy their beans in order to produce their product.  We own the beans and make our own chocolate as well as sell beans.  Nice business but that is only one part of this business.

Making Mash from fredwilson on Vimeo.

The other part of the business is rum and eventually whiskey.  Believe me there is much more to this because between the chocolate and the liquor business there is also other new food and medical products lurking in the wings. 

When I first met Daniel and he took me through his business and his vision it took about 2.5 hours and in the back to my head I was thinking you have to get this down to 20 minutes dude.  Fred was seriously skeptical and although he rarely expresses an opinion on what I am investing in I thought he should come out and see Daniel.  After another 2.5 hours he was just as blown away as I was.  Then the process began of getting other people excited too. 

Fast forward, Daniel has in his hands the first permit in 87 years to distill in Brooklyn, his chocolate business is growing and so damn good and the food/medical product business is just beginning to percolate.  All of this off the cacao plant. 

Last night was the party to kick off the company.  Located in Red Hook, Brooklyn the neighbors came and so did many friends.  It was fantastic.  I have said this before and will continue to say that I am so lucky to have the opportunity to meet and work with an incredible group of entrepreneurs.  Help them execute on their dream and watch them grow.  At every turn Daniel has impressed me and just when I think he can’t possibly impress me anymore he does. He continues to blow me away at every turn. 

Pay attention to Cacao Prietro…more will be coming your way.