Cocoa Press Recruits Former Prusa Executive to Lead Chocolate 3D Printing Growth

Cocoa Press, the startup behind what it claims is the world's first consumer 3D printer capable of extruding real chocolate without a refrigerated chamber, has named David Randolph as CEO. Randolph recently stepped down from Printed Solid, the American manufacturing arm of Prusa Research, where he spent roughly a decade scaling the operation from a small filament supplier into a US-based assembler of Prusa MK4s and CORE One printers. Under his leadership, Printed Solid was working toward a "MADE in the USA" designation for those European-designed machines, a credential that carries real weight in domestic manufacturing circles.

The hire is a significant signal for a company still selling its hardware as a $1,499 DIY kit. That device earned a 4.5-star Editor's Choice rating from Tom's Hardware at launch, which is a credible endorsement in this space, but going from critical acclaim to genuine market scale is a different engineering problem entirely. That's where Randolph's background becomes relevant. His stated goal is to bring chocolate 3D printing to kitchens, classrooms, and makerspaces worldwide, and the manufacturing chops he developed assembling Prusa hardware stateside are exactly the kind of operational experience that could get Cocoa Press there.

Founder Ellie Rose, who started the company in 2023, remains as CTO and continues to run the Print Kits subscription service alongside her technical responsibilities. The consumable side of the business runs on specially prepared cocoa cores in milk, white, and dark chocolate varieties, priced at $49 each. That hardware-plus-consumables model is a familiar playbook, and it only works if you can ship reliably at volume.

Cocoa Press had already been building out its bench before bringing Randolph on board. Matt Stultz, who brings experience from Prusa, MakerBot, and LightBurn, joined as Chief Operating Officer. Caleb Kraft, the former editor of Make Magazine and a fixture at Maker Faire events, was added as Print Kits Box Manager. That combination of operational depth and maker-community credibility gives Cocoa Press a leadership team that actually understands both the manufacturing side and the enthusiast audience it needs to win over.

The open question is whether chocolate 3D printing has a ceiling beyond novelty gifting and maker showcases. Randolph's track record suggests Cocoa Press is serious about finding out.