SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Drop, the creators of a new interactive recipe platform that works with a free app and connected kitchen scale to improve the skills of home bakers, today announced it has raised $2 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by Frontline Ventures and Innovation Works, with additional investors including PCH, VegasTechFund and WI Harper Group. Drop also announced it will conclude its current pre-order campaign on October 19 in preparation for the company’s launch later this fall.
“We’ve had a great response to the pre-order campaign we launched in the summer,” said Ben Harris, co-founder and CEO, Drop. “It’s clear that home cooks are ready for a new way to create delicious, consistently great results every time they step in their kitchen. Our investors recognize that the kitchen has been mostly overlooked in the race to the connected home and share our excitement for aspiring home cooks to have a new way to find, follow and share great recipes,” said Harris.
Drop’s connected kitchen scale is the first in a series of kitchen products that the company plans to tie into its new, interactive recipe platform. The sleek, silicone-covered red scale connects to an iPad app via Bluetooth to offer features such as rescaling quantities and common substitutions, with just a tap. As the Drop scale senses an ingredient has been added to the bowl, bakers are automatically guided step-by-step through hundreds of recipes – from simple cookies to more complex pastries and pastas.
“The explosive growth of the Internet of Things speaks to consumers’ desire for the devices in and around their home to have the smart behavior and personalized, interactive content that connectivity brings,” said Chris Evdemon, partner, Innovation Works. “Co-founded by four designers, Drop’s approach to design and usability is second to none and we believe the focus on the kitchen will resonate particularly well during the holiday shopping season,” said Evdemon.
Drop plans to use the funds to build out its engineering, customer support and community teams, while also increasing its marketing activities.
Drop’s connected kitchen scale will be priced at $99 and available from getdrop.com, shipping in time for this year’s holiday season. Customers placing a pre-order for the Drop scale by October 19, 2014, will qualify for the discounted price of $80.
About Drop:
Drop’s recipe platform reimagines the kitchen by intuitively leading bakers step-by-step through finding, making and sharing delicious food. Drop’s first product is an app and iPad-connected kitchen scale for home bakers who want consistently great results from handpicked, interactive recipes. Drop was founded in 2012 by a group of award-winning designers in Dublin, Ireland, passionate about bringing people back into the kitchen. Pre-orders for the Drop connected scale can be placed at getdrop.com.