Yumi, the Los Angeles-based baby food delivery service co-created by former TechCrunch and Wall Street Journal reporter Evelyn Rusli and Angela Sutherland is finally open for business, with $4.1 million in seed investment from VC firms Brand Foundry, August Capital and NEA, as well as several angels, including early Dropbox investor Ali Partovi, WordPress’ Matt Mullenweg, and Philip Krim, co-founder of mattress company Casper.
There are plenty of options in the baby food market for parents to choose from, but Sutherland, a new mom herself, wanted a healthier option for her little one without the hassle and clean up that comes with whipping up something in the food processor. She came up with Yumi to deliver perfectly pureed bites without all the sugar and preservatives found on the grocery store shelf.
Like grownup meal delivery services, parents simply select a plan on the Yumi website, a chef prepares the food in the Yumi kitchen and then the meals arrive in an insulated container, along with ice packs to keep it fresh. Prices start at $50 per week for six meals and go from there (with discounts for subscription plans).
Yumi will deliver throughout California and doesn’t have much in the way of meal delivery competition right now in the state but could possibly soon be neck-and-neck with the New York-based Little Spoon, as that startup has told me it plans to roll out nationwide. Both companies do face some uncertainty, as others have tried and failed at this model before. Still, Rusli told me in an earlier conversation she is confident Yumi has tested the market and has what it takes to succeed.
And sure, it’s easier for parents to pick up an organic offering at their nearest Whole Foods, if health is the focus, but those jars of food may come with all sorts of preservatives you may not want your baby ingesting. Plus, with offerings like bell pepper soup and rose water overnight oats, Yumi’s food sounds scrumptious, even for adults.
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