Yummly

About Yummly

Yummly operates as a digital kitchen platform, established in 2009 by David Feller and Vadim Geshel. Feller's previous experience at companies like Half.com, eBay, and StumbleUpon informed the company's direction. The venture was founded to address the common challenge of finding personalized recipes that match individual tastes and dietary needs. After raising approximately $24.2 million in venture capital from investors including First Round Capital, Intel Capital, and Unilever Ventures, the company demonstrated significant growth. A major milestone occurred in May 2017 when Whirlpool Corporation acquired Yummly, allowing it to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary while aiming to integrate digital convenience into the kitchen.

The platform serves home cooks of all skill levels, providing a comprehensive resource for meal inspiration and planning. Its business model is multifaceted, generating revenue through several streams. A premium subscription service, Yummly Pro, offers users exclusive content such as step-by-step guided video recipes from celebrity chefs. Additional income is derived from affiliate marketing, where Yummly earns commissions from grocery and kitchen equipment purchases made through the app, and partnerships with brands for sponsored content. The company also had an advertising platform for brands to promote their products.

Yummly's core product is a mobile app and website that functions as a semantic search engine for food. It utilizes a patented knowledge graph and AI-driven technology to provide personalized recipe recommendations from a library of nearly two million recipes. Users can filter searches based on a wide array of criteria including ingredients, diet, allergies, nutrition, taste, and preparation time. Key features include a meal planner with calendar reminders, automated shopping lists that can be fulfilled via partners like Instacart, and voice commands for hands-free cooking. The platform also offers unique tools like Ingredient Recognition, which suggests recipes based on a photo of available ingredients. Furthermore, Yummly developed and sold a smart thermometer that monitors food and oven temperatures, sending real-time alerts to a user's phone. This hardware integrates with select Whirlpool smart ovens, enhancing the connected kitchen experience.