Today we’re featuring Adam Deremo, co-founder of AWAKE Chocolate, the brand that flipped the script on energy and indulgence by putting caffeine into chocolate. Instead of coffee or energy drinks, AWAKE delivers a pick-me-up in bite-size and bar-form chocolate , each bite packing roughly half a coffee’s brew: 50 mg caffeine, fair-trade, gluten-free, no artificial stuff.

We’ll dig into:

• How AWAKE positions itself in the “functional food / caffeinated treat” space, combining everyday energy with the simple pleasure of chocolate.
• The leap from corporate CPG roots to startup chocolate-maker: what made Adam and his co-founders decide to build a “functional chocolate that tastes good.”
• The evolution of formulation, taste testing, ingredient choices and packaging, how they balanced caffeine, flavor, quality and accessibi ...