A startup that allows chefs to turn recipes into interactive tools has raised $11.5 million.
Meez, founded in 2020 by chef and restaurant operator Josh Sharkey, converts recipes stored in a spreadsheet or on paper into “living” recipes. They can then be used as training modules, for instance, and can be automatically scaled or converted to different units of measure.
The Series A round was led by David Sacks-backed Craft Ventures with contributions from a number of other venture capital firms.
Sharkey said that when he was a chef, a recipe management tool like Meez didn’t exist. “We are focused on serving chefs and mixologists first,” he said in a statement. “Our recipe workflow tool is dedicated entirely to the recipe process, from ideation through execution.”
Meez has a number of functions and benefits. Once a recipe is entered into the system, Meez’s software can provide costing information and nutrition analysis. It can help chefs keep their recipes organized and allows them to make updates to recipes in real time. Chefs can add photos and videos to train others how to execute the dish. And a recipe can be automatically scaled up or down to meet a chef’s desired yield.
The startup said this can help restaurants execute more efficiently, increasing profit margins by several thousands of dollars a month per location. More than 1,200 kitchens use Meez today, from fine-dining and fast-casual restaurants to culinary schools and catering companies.
Meez costs $79 a month for the full package or $49 for a scaled-down version. And on Thursday, Meez launched a free version for individual users who simply want to store and share their recipes.
It said it would use the new funding to grow its product and engineering teams, add new features and market its technology.
Craft Ventures Partner Michael Tam said until now, restaurants have not had a strong intelligence tool to support recipes.
“Focusing on the most critical piece of a restaurant's success, Meez has built a product that is both easy to use and improves the bottom line,” Tam said in a statement. “Josh and team have had impressive organic adoption right out of the gates, and we're excited to see this take off.”
The funding round adds to a $6.5 million seed round in January. Contributors to the latest investment were Struck Capital, FJ Labs, AME Cloud Ventures, Moving Capital, Max Mullen, Lenny Rachitsky, Mike Montero, Bobby Lo, Austin Rief, Louis Beryl, James Beshara, Allison Pickens and the Todd & Rahul Fund.
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