Plated delivers pre-portioned ingredients and recipes each week, letting users choose from a rotating menu of meals. The company, launched in 2012, positions itself as a premium meal-kit player with more than 1,000 unique recipes and a broad range of options, with prices typically ranging from $12 to $30 per meal. Plated emphasizes sustainability in sourcing and logistics, including domestically and sustainably farmed seafood from Sea To Table and an insulation method that cut per-box carbon emissions by 95% (from 4.5 lbs CO2 to 0.25 lbs). It has invested in a native iOS app (live for five months) and plans to invest further in 'choice mechanics' to expand vegetarian options and more challenging recipes for cooks. The company faces stiff competition from players like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, which are shipping millions of meals per month. Plated has 400 employees and has raised $56.4 million in funding to date. Plated (Dine In Fresh Inc.) produces chef-curated meal kits that deliver fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and recipes directly to customers. Consumers choose from meat, fish and vegetarian dishes from a weekly menu developed by featured chefs. The service emphasizes convenience and culinary variety, aiming to simplify home cooking for inexperienced cooks. Plated sources and portions fresh ingredients and ships them so meals arrive ready to cook at customers' doorsteps. The article reports the company raised $15 million in a Series A round. Plated delivers pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipes so customers can cook chef-designed meals at home. The service offers a weekly menu of seven chef-prepared meals and includes a list of delivered ingredients, pantry items needed, and caloric information. Customers choose meals and a delivery date and pay $15 a la carte per plate or buy a membership at $10 per month or $8 per year. The company says it delivers to 80 percent of the continental U.S. and is headquartered in New York. Plated’s customer base is described as predominantly dual-income families mostly without children. The company announced a $5 million first round of funding led by ff Venture Capital with participation from Lerer Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Founder Collective, and angels. Plated compiles gourmet recipes from noted chefs and delivers all pre-portioned ingredients — from cut meat and chopped produce to spices — directly to customers' doors. The service charges $14–$15 per plate for non-members and $10–$12 per plate for members. Since launching in late 2012 Plated has delivered “tens of thousands” of meals and currently serves the U.S. Eastern seaboard from Virginia to New Hampshire, covering about 52 million people. Founded in 2012 by Harvard Business School alums Nick Taranto and Josh Hix, the company operates out of Manhattan’s TechStars incubator and has 15 full-time employees. Plated recently launched Social Recipe Pages to add a social layer where customers can share photos and cooking tips. The startup raised seed funding to support delivery-area expansion, product development and team growth.

Total raised

$56M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Jul 2015