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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

Michael Wolf

Is LG’s Majority Stake in Bear Robotics a Sign That Food Robotics Is About to Have Its Moment?

Late last week, LG Electronics announced it had acquired a majority stake in Bear Robotics, increasing its ownership of the San Francisco-based startup from 21% to 51%. According to South Korean newspaper The Dong-A Ilbo, LG initially acquired its 21% stake in early 2024 for $60 million. The company values its latest stake at $180 million, giving Bear Robotics an overall valuation of $600 million.

While a 60%-of-a-billion-dollar valuation might not compare to the staggering figures often associated with AI startups—though recent events, such as China’s DeepThink’s troubles, may prompt reevaluations—it’s a really good valuation for a food tech company, especially in the challenging food robotics sector.

Where Are All The Unicorns?

Anyone who’s been following The Spoon (we were the first publication to write about Bear Robotics in early 2018) knows food robotics startups have had a tough go of it the last few years. High-profile flameouts like Zume have dominated headlines, while quieter exits, such as Mezli and Vebu, have underscored how challenging this is.

Vebu, formerly Wavemaker Labs, played a pivotal role in launching Miso Robotics, creator of the Flippy burger bot, along with other food robotics concepts like Piestro and Bobacino. However, by the time Serve Robotics acquired Vebu Labs last fall, its only notable product in the portfolio was the Autocado, an avocado-coring robot adopted by Chipotle.

Bear Robotics, however, has achieved steady traction in the restaurant and food service industry. This success, combined with LG’s strategic plans to develop a service robot platform for commercial and home applications, has driven its higher valuation. As The Dong-A Ilbo reported, LG plans to create an integrated solution platform that “encompasses commercial, industrial, and home robots” using Bear Robotics’ software to manage various robot products through a unified system.

Service Robots Over Food-Making Robots

What Bear doesn’t provide LG with is an actual food-making robot; instead, it offers a fairly open platform for service robotics in restaurants and other hospitality spaces. At this point, it’s still unclear whether there will be the same level of interest in food-making robots. Some players, like Picnic and Miso, continue to make progress, but they face significant competition for what is undoubtedly a limited number of big quick-service and fast-casual chains that have yet to acquire their own solutions.

Could Serve and Starship be next?

As major tech companies and consumer brands increasingly view robotics as critical to their future strategies—in what Nvidia’s CEO has called “physical AI”—it’s likely that we’ll see more acquisitions in the service and delivery robotics space. Companies with limited proprietary IP (and my sense is LG didn’t have much here) may be particularly desperate to snap up firms similar to Bear that have been around enough to create a foundation of discernable IP and a varied set of products and build a customer base.

Potential acquisition candidates include Serve Robotics, known for its sidewalk delivery robots, and Starship Technologies, a leader in autonomous delivery systems. Both companies have gained traction but operate in an environment where consolidation is becoming inevitable.

With American’s Growing Focus on Microbiome Health, Will Fiber Gain Starring Role Next to Protein in Diets?

At CES last week, The Spoon hosted a panel of experts to discuss the role of personalized nutrition in addressing critical global health challenges, including obesity, diabetes, and chronic diseases.

Moderated by nutrition expert Carolyn O’Neil, the panel featured Noosheen Hashemi of January AI, Ranjan Sinha of Digbi Health, and Matt Barnard of OneBio. Together, they delved into how innovations in artificial intelligence, microbiome science, and biotechnology are transforming how we eat and improve our health.

O’Neil began the session by highlighting the significant impact of diet-related illnesses on public health and the increasing reliance on pharmaceutical interventions, such as GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. While these medications offer effective solutions for managing conditions like obesity and diabetes, the panelists stressed the importance of addressing root causes, including poor dietary habits, fiber deficiencies, and the lack of personalized guidance.

Ranjan Sinha, founder of Digbi Health, emphasized the critical role that genetics and the gut microbiome play in metabolic health.

“Food has been the cause of many illnesses, but it can also be the cure,” Sinha explained. Digbi Health leverages advanced technology to analyze genetic data, gut microbiome profiles, and telemetry from wearable devices to create customized wellness plans.

Sinha also underscored the untapped potential of microbiome research, describing it as the “next pharmaceutical frontier.” He likened its trajectory to the evolution of electronics, predicting that microbiome-based treatments will dominate healthcare in the coming decades.

“Think about where electronics were in the 1990s, and then the leap to smartphones in the 2000s,” he said. “That’s where microbiome science is headed. In the next 15 to 20 years, your gut could effectively function as a pharmaceutical factory, producing compounds to prevent and treat illness.”

Both Sinha and Matt Barnard highlighted the essential role of fiber in health, directly linking it to the microbiome’s function. By nourishing the microbiome with the fibers it requires, they argued, we could unlock its potential to prevent and even reverse chronic diseases.

Barnard compared the importance of fiber to the early discoveries of vitamins and minerals, signaling a paradigm shift in how fiber is viewed in relation to health.

“One hundred years ago, we didn’t know the importance of vitamins and minerals,” Barnard noted. “Now, deficiencies are rare. The same transformation is happening with fiber. As we learn more, it will revolutionize our approach to chronic disease and metabolic health.”

Noosheen Hashemi, CEO of January AI, agreed with Barnard and Sinha on fiber’s vital role in supporting the human microbiome.

“One of the biggest drivers of inflammation in our collective microbiome is the lack of fiber,” she explained. “Our ancestors, just 12,000 years ago, consumed 100 to 150 grams of fiber daily. Today, our intake is drastically lower. Add to that antibiotics and other factors, and we’re collectively in a state of dysbiosis. It’s essential to ensure people get enough fiber.”

Hashemi also shared insights into January AI’s innovative technology, which predicts a food’s impact on blood sugar using a simple photo of the meal. By analyzing millions of data points, the AI can forecast blood sugar responses to meals, even without requiring wearables like glucose monitors.

The panelists collectively predicted a future where pharmaceutical interventions are complemented by greater reliance on dietary strategies. These strategies will increasingly be informed by technologies capable of analyzing a person’s biomarkers in near real time.

This panel left me wondering if we might see a more significant emphasis on fiber by Americans who, by nearly all accounts, have become overly obsessed with maxing out their protein as a way to feel full and hopefully lose weight. With all the emphasis on gut health and the clear connection to fiber, I think there’s certainly a chance some of it break through for everyday consumers looking for ways to stay health and maintain a healthy weight and microbiome.

That said, it’s likely Americans’ fixation won’t end soon. As Mike Lee said on a (separate) panel recently, “Protein is the Tom Cruise of the American diet.”

In other words, protein’s starring role won’t end anytime soon, but maybe there’s a chance fiber may someday get equal billing.

You can watch the full CES panel on personalized nutrition below

The Future of Personalized Nutrition in the Era of Ozempic

Video Game Pro? Why Not Join Our Farm: Farmers Seek New Skills to Attract Workers

It’s no secret that farmers face a significant labor crunch, one that’s expected to worsen over the next few years.

One major reason is farmers’ heavy reliance on migrant labor. Unfortunately, there may be far fewer workers available from this vital labor pool in the coming years. Threats of mass deportations under the Trump administration have left many in the agriculture and food industries concerned about the potential impacts on their partners and the broader food supply chain.

“Our ability to feed ourselves as a country is completely jeopardized if you do see the mass deportations,” said Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, in a recent interview.

Compounding this issue is the reality that the average farmer is getting up there in years, with the current average age being 58. Many of these farmers have no succession plan, as younger generations from farm families often show little interest in taking over the family business. As a result, many farms currently producing food may be sold off to developers within the next decade.

But what if new technology could make farming jobs more attractive? According to Tim Bucher, CEO of Agtonomy, one way to address the labor shortage is to reframe farming jobs to appeal to workers with skills gained from unexpected areas, such as video games.

At last week’s CES Ag Tech Summit, hosted by The Spoon, Bucher shared the story of one of Agtonomy’s farming partners who faced a crippling labor shortage. Traditional job postings for tractor drivers had failed to attract candidates, so the partner took a bold step: they adjusted the job description to emphasize “video game experience” for the role of an “AgTech Operator.” The results were remarkable.

“The resume flow exploded,” said Bucher. “They hired ag tech operators who had never set foot in a tractor but were able to operate them and accomplish incredible work.”

This move to leverage new skills goes beyond farming. Some startups are creating platforms specifically optimized for integrating video games and virtual reality expertise. For example, Carbon Origins, a company The Spoon covered at CES three years ago, developed a system that uses virtual reality to operate a bulldozer called “Bobby.” These innovations highlight how skills traditionally seen as unrelated to agriculture or construction are now becoming valuable assets in reimagining labor-intensive industries.

AI and Data Are the New Tractor

In addition to using technology to attract new workers, the technology itself—such as AI and automation—may ultimately be the key to saving many farms that operate on razor-thin margins and struggle to survive in the face of accelerating climate change. During the CES panel, participants highlighted how farmers are leveraging autonomous equipment, precision agriculture tools, and AI-enabled decision-making platforms to better manage their operations.

Jacqueline Heard, CEO of Enko, likened the transformative impact of AI and data-driven tools to that of the tractor, which revolutionized agriculture over the past two centuries.

“If you think about any industrial revolution, that’s what it was—a tractor and autonomy causing this incredible acceleration and making what farmers do easier,” said Heard. “The same goes for AI. Data is the new tractor. I think AI will accelerate just about everything we do, from creating better inputs to solving the massive optimization challenges farmers face on-farm and driving profitability.”

You can watch the entire session below.

AI or Die? Why Farms Must Embrace the AI Revolution to Survive

CES 2025 Food Tech Preview

Welcome to The Spoon’s CES 2025 Food Tech Exhibitor Preview!

We’ve scoured through the exhibitor guide and press releases to find some of the products that will be on display at CES 2025 that may interest you. We’ve categorized the different products so you can easily find what interests you—from food robots like Apecoo’s automated waffle and flatbread-making machines to smart ovens and kitchen appliances. This year’s beverage tech lineup includes kombucha makers, home coffee robots, and more. Big names like Kirin are also making an appearance with innovative (and slightly quirky) ideas like their salt-detecting spoon. Unsurprisingly, AI is being incorporated into everything, from the latest smart ovens to nutrition coaches.

Be sure to check out our CES Food Tech walk-around guide for a clickable and sortable list of all the food tech products on display at CES! And if you’re in Vegas, The Spoon is putting on a happy hour for smart home and smart kitchen industry folks. Please drop by!

Now let’s get to the products…

Food Robots

Apecoo Robotic Waffle Maker

Apecoo, based in Silicon Valley, will show of its Roti/Tortilla Robot Baker at CES 2025. This appliance automates the process of making various flatbreads, including roti, chapati, tortilla, tawa, and dosa. It measures and mixes flour, oil, and water, kneads the mixture into dough balls, and then flattens and cooks them to the desired consistency. The device features noise reduction technology for quiet operation, infrared shortage detection for smart monitoring, and an “Auto Alert & Stop” function for enhanced safety.

The company also makes a robotic waffle maker, which has sensors to detect the doneness of the waffle, and cooks the robot from start to finish.

FrazyBot

The FrazyBot is a countertop home beverage robot that makes specialty drinks ranging from cocktails like spicy margaritas to boba tea and coffee drinks. The robot, first introduced at last year’s CES, is available for preorder for $399. FrazyBot is modular and comes with a base module that has a touch panel and water reservoir. Users order their drink boxes from the website and once-inserted, the Frazybot will mix them. The company behind them, Frazy, is known for its coffee and beverage concentrates it ships to consumers via a DTC model and this appliance looks like a way for them possibly create another line of business for their beverage mixes. The biggest downside, in my opinion, is that the robot makes single-use drinks from each package – which seems like a big waste of packaging and cost for a home robot.

Artly Coffee Robots

Amazing Robotic A.I. Drinks and Coffee at Artly Coffee in Downtown Seattle, WA

Artly makes AI-powered barista bots that use deep learning and computer vision. The company says its robots are trained by award-winning professionals to perform complex tasks, including precise latte art. The company already has its robot barists operating in multiple locations across the U.S. and Canada and says its robots have served over half a million cups of specialty coffee, contributing to a significant revenue increase from $100,000 in 2021 to $1.8 million in 2023.

Health & Nutrition Tech

The Kirin Salt Spoon

We first saw Kirin making the rounds with its weird but intriguing Electric Salt Spoon in early 2024, and it looks like they’ll be bringing it to Vegas for CES. The device amplifies food’s saltiness by applying an electric current to the tongue. According to the product’s co-developer, the product works by using the current to draw more sodium into contact with the tongue, which in turn enhances the perceived saltiness of the food.

Netri’s Organ-on-Chip Platform Will Meaure for Food Toxicity Analysis

NETRI’s technology leverages its NeuroFluidics Care platform, which integrates advanced neuroscience and bioengineering to assess the toxic effects of compounds, including those used in the food industry. NETRI uses “organ-on-a-chip” systems, small devices engineered to mimic the structure and function of human organs, and these chips replicate aspects of the nervous system, enabling researchers to observe how compounds interact with neural tissues. The platform creates functional neural networks that are exposed to food-related compounds. By simulating human neural responses, it provides insights into the potential effects of these compounds on human health.

OrthoFoodie

The OrthoFoodie platform is a personalized nutrition and health optimization tool that integrates multiple features to deliver tailored dietary insights. According to the company’s website, users can log their meals or select from a database of foods and recipes. The platform analyzes the nutritional content of these inputs, providing detailed feedback on how they align with individual health goals. Based on user-specific data such as age, activity level, health objectives, and dietary preferences, OrthoFoodie generates recommendations to improve energy, immunity, and cognitive function.

Jelly Drops

Jelly Drops are sugar-free water candy that boosts independent hydration, support health and aid brain function. Made with 95% water, plus added electrolytes and vitamins. Originally created to assist individuals with dementia who often face challenges in maintaining adequate fluid intake, these treats have gained popularity among a broader audience seeking to boost their hydration.

Home Beverage Tech

The Kombu

KOMBU The Fermenstation

While kombucha is a little less trendy than just a couple years ago, those still on board the kombucha train can look to make it at home with the KOMBU Fermenstation countertop kombucha maker. The Fermenstation features a dual-compartment system: a 3.5-liter front glass jar for primary fermentation and a rear section holding four flavoring and secondary fermentation bottles. Each compartment is equipped with temperature-controlled heating pads to maintain optimal fermentation conditions. Users can monitor and control the brewing process via a mobile app, which allows for setting timers and adjusting temperatures remotely. This appliance is appealing mostly because it would allow would-be home kombucha brewers to sidestep the traditional method that requires keeping big piece of mold in a jar called a ‘mother’ alive.

Medipresso Smart Tea Maker

[MEDIPRESSO] IoT-Based Tea & Coffee Dual-Nozzle Capsule Machine

Medipresso’s Medino is a connected tea and coffee capsule machine focused on healthy beverage experiences. The machine, which is compatible with Nespresso capsules, uses dual nozzles to extra both tea and coffee. The device uses an app called Medina which the company says uses AI to make healthy tea recommendations.

Vinxper Electric Wine Decanter

The Vinxper Expert is a 4th-generation electric wine aerator which patented technology that allows precise adjustment of decanting times from 0 to 240 minutes, effectively replacing traditional glass decanters. Designed to enhance the flavor of young wines aged 3 to 7 years, it addresses common issues found in existing electric aerators, such as battery leakage and unstable aeration, by incorporating Type-C charging and a water-resistant design.

Grad Wine Cooler

GRAD, established in 2015 and based in Denmark, makes the Grad No.1, is a 100% portable and rechargeable wine cooler that maintains precise temperature control for any wine. The Grad has a battery life of up to 15 hours and a full recharge time of 2.5 hours,

OviBar Water Bar

Ovi le bar à eau économique, pratique et écologique

The OviBar is yet another water dispensing system. Still, this one connects directly to your home’s water supply and provides instant access to purified water at hot, cold, or room temperature. It has a three-stage filtration system, which includes two filters and UV sterilization, which the company claims effectively removes impurities while preserving essential minerals. It has a dedicated baby bottle mode that delivers water at an optimal 37°C, making it quick and efficient for infant feeding preparations.

Coffee Tech

Flavor Craft AI

Flavor Craft AI: The Ultimate Custom Coffee Experience Created by AI

The Flavor Craft AI system is a home food coffee blending appliance that uses AI to create personalized coffee mixes based on five flavor preferences (acidity, bitterness, astringency, richness and coffee strength.

Outin Portable Espresso Machine

How To Make Espresso With The OutIn Nano Portable Espresso Machine (Ground Coffee)

Want your Joe on the go? The Outin Nano might be for you. The Outin Nano Portable Espresso Machine is a compact, self-heating espresso-making appliance that allows you to brew espresso in your car, while camping or wherever you want to go. It weighs approximately 670 grams and standing about 9 inches tall, and the company claims it can make a rich crema and robust espresso comparable to traditional machines. It has a rapid heating system that brings water to optimal brewing temperature in 200 seconds, and the 7500 mAh rechargeable battery supports up to five extractions with cold water or over 200 with preheated water on a single charge.

REAL9 Fit Stepper Lever Home Coffee Robot

REAL9 FIT: Next-Generation Sustainable Espresso Machine

The REAL9 Fit home espresso maker from Zeroth Law utilizes a stepper motor instead of a boiler to extract espresso, which the company claims results in 97% less energy consumption compared to traditional machines. Its precise pressure control minimizes unwanted chemical reactions, ensuring non-rancid, full-flavored coffee. With a compact design, intuitive interface, and shareable extraction profiles, the REAL9 FIT empowers users to create barista-level coffee effortlessly, making it a versatile and eco-conscious choice for both professionals and enthusiasts.

AstroBrew

AstroBrew is an innovative countertop appliance that revolutionizes cold brew coffee preparation by reducing the traditional 12-24 hour steeping process to just minutes. Astro Brew says it uses patent-pending thermodynamic semiconductor technology, which combines pressure, turbulence, and recirculation to extract coffee flavors efficiently, resulting in a smooth, less acidic brew. The company says it can brew up to 34 ounces of cold brew coffee and keep it fresh for up to 30 days without refrigeration.

Beer Tech

Beer-o-Meter Portable Beer Testing Lab

We bring the LAB to you with Beer-o-Meter

The Beer-o-Meter is a portable lab testing tool for brewers. Compact and portable, this cube-shaped measures key brewing metrics like pH and ABV with no chemicals required. The company says the device has already undergone pilot testing with Dutch breweries, provided feedback that has been integrated into its ongoing development. Initially tailored for the craft beer market, the Beer-o-Meter leverages bioassay technology to ensure precise and reliable results, and the company plans to expand its applications into the point-of-care market.

Laxppy Automated Beer Dispenser

According to the company, the Laxppy Automatic Beer Dispenser is an automated beer dispenser for food service environments. It features two automatic outlets capable of dispensing two glasses of beer in just 12 seconds. Additionally, a manual outlet is available for more traditional pouring methods. The dispenser accommodates beer glass sizes ranging from 300cc to 500cc, making it versatile for various serving preferences. A 7.1-inch touch display provides an intuitive interface for easy operation and monitoring.

Smart Ovens

Agari Kitchen

Agari is developing a cooking robot designed which is says uses ” 3D scanning, remote temperature sensing, and precision algorithms. While more specific details about its features and capabilities are not yet publicly available, the company is preparing for an upcoming launch and encourages interested individuals to subscribe for updates.

DaanTech’s Fantastic Oven

Daan Tech is showcasing its Fantastic Oven at CES, which it first debuted at last year’s CES. The oven, which also goes by Joe (following the same naming convention as it had with its Bob dishwasher), is available for pre-sale now and will be available first in Europe. The oven features a microwave, steam, air fryer, convection and grill/toaster capabilities.

Chef AI

Chef AI, which debuted its oven at CES 2024, will be showing off its intelligent cookware system that utilizes thermal, weight, and dimensional data to monitor and control the cooking process. This advanced technology ensures precise cooking without the need for constant monitoring or external probes and has the capability to cook over 100 different foods.

Smart Kitchen

Spicerr Smart Spice Dispenser

If you’re looking for something a little different in smart kitchen this year at CES, check out the Spicerr smart spice dispenser that optimizes food flavoring and nutrient intake. The connected device uses interchangeable spice capsules and an app to provide precise seasoning tailored to the user’s taste preferences. The company says it has 100 high-quality spices, herbs, and extracts available in sealed capsules. The dispenser’s touchscreen interface allows for manual or automated dispensing, while the accompanying app uses AI to offer personalized recipes, flavor suggestions, and nutritional tracking.

Lissome R1 Tiny Dishwasher

LISSOME R1 Dishwasher: Clean, Dry , and Disinfect in One! 🌟

The Lissome R1 is a compact dishwasher designed for small apartments or homes where traditional dishwashers are impractical. The R1 is 11 inches wide, and uses ‘Sweeping Jet Technology’ with two bottom-rotating and two patented vertical spray arms, the R1 uses high-speed jets at 45,000 Pa to thoroughly clean dishes in just 15 minutes.

Versaware

A Visit With Versaware at CES 2023

We first saw VersaWare at CES in 2023, and they are back this year with their AI-powered smart cooking assistant designed to provide nutritional insights and personalized meal planning. With voice-activated commands, it offers features such as Nutrition Awareness, allowing users to monitor their intake of calories, carbohydrates, and vitamins. The Meal Building tool helps users craft recipes tailored to their dietary preferences, providing nutritional information for each ingredient. Recipe Discovery suggests dishes based on available ingredients, while Pantry Management keeps track of a person’s food inventory, alerting users to low-stock items and monitors expiration dates.

LG

LG will unveil the 36-inch Smart InstaView French Door Refrigerator, which as a fully transparent T-OLED display embedded in the upper right door, serving as both a touch interface and a Dual InstaView panel. This display allows users to view the fridge’s contents without opening the door and showcases hologram-like visuals. For some reason, the fridge provides a curated music playlist.

The company will also show off its ThinQ Food management system, powered by a built-in AI camera, which the company says will automatically identify stored items, suggest recipes based on ingredients and preferences, and track inventory and expiration dates.

Finally, LG will show off its new SIGNATURE microwave with entertainment and smart home integration. Equipped with three built-in cameras, it enables real-time cooking monitoring, time-lapse creation, and tracking of meals’ heating progress. Paired with the induction range powered by Gourmet AI, the microwave identifies ingredients and suggests recipes. The microwave has a 27-inch Full-HD touchscreen with InstaView, built-in speakers, and Wi-Fi connectivity, and LG says it can double as a hub for managing smart home devices through the LG ThinQ Smart Home Dashboard, supporting LG AI appliances and Matter/Thread-compatible devices.

Rejuvenate Fog-Powered Smart Garden

No, the Rejuvenate by Plantaform this isn’t a steam punk garden, but instead a smart garden that uses something called fogponics—a method of delivering nutrients to plant roots via nutrient-rich fog—to grow a variety of herbs, vegetables, flowers, and plants year-round. Designed for ease of use, it accommodates 15 plant pods and requires refilling only every 2-3 weeks, thanks to its efficient water usage. The system is managed through the Plantaform App, which allows users to monitor plant health, adjust light schedules, and receive care guidance.

Restaurant and Food Retail

PickPad

We’ve seen many smart checkout systems in recent years at CES, but Pickpad is a little different in that it is tailored for restaurants as a smart order pickup system. It enables restaurants to put orders-to-go on a smart pad. The modular system utilizes sensors and machine learning to integrate into existing food service environments and their point-of-sale systems without altering current processes. It automatically double-checks order accuracy, updates order statuses in real time, collects comprehensive data points, and personalizes the customer experience by displaying customer names when orders are ready.

The CES 2025 Food Tech Walk-Around Guide

Welcome to the CES 2025 Food Tech Walk-Around Guide!

If you’re at CES (or even if you’re not) and want to see what cool new food tech products will be on display this week, this is your go-to guide. You can also check out our CES Food Tech Preview, which takes a look at some of the companies we’re excited to see this week in Vegas.

Not only have we scoured the CES exhibitor guide, company websites, and all the press releases that have hit our inbox, but we’re also walking the show floor here in Vegas to bring you all the food tech news coming out of Vegas this week.

You can use the handy table below to read a description of what each is showing off at CES, as well as find a link that shows a map with the location of each company’s booth. The embedded airtable guide is also sortable, and you can pop out each company to get more information about them.

We’ll be keeping this list updated. If you don’t see your company on here (and you have a product to show), drop us a line.

Can You Use AI to Create a Wi-Fi Powered Rolling Pin? Join Today’s Interactive Workshop to Find Out!

Last June at the Smart Kitchen Summit, Scott Heimendinger talked about today’s temptation among product builders to follow a similar path with AI as consumer product builders forged a decade ago when they added Wi-Fi connectivity to almost everything.

“There’s a temptation that’s especially prevalent in our industry, but in others as well, that when new technologies become available to the world, we want to kind of slap those on what we’re doing,” he said. “We slapped WiFi on a bunch of things, but the world does not need a WiFi-enabled rolling pin.”

This doesn’t mean Scott doesn’t embrace AI as an inventor and product builder to help make him more productive in doing his job. It’s the opposite, and the one-time technical lead for Modernist Cuisine and founder of one of the earliest consumer sous vide hardware startups in Sansaire leverages AI tools to assist across the product development process. From ideation to market research to writing code, Heimendinger tells me that AI is a crucial tool to help him do his job faster and more efficiently.

If you’re looking for ways to figure out how to use AI in your job, join us this morning for this month’s Food AI Co-Lab as Scott shows us how to leverage these tools as we, yes, build an imaginary new product in a Wi-Fi rolling pin and look to bring it to market.

Join us for today’s interactive workshop at 8:30 Pacific Time to learn how a successful product developer and inventor like Scott leverages AI to up his game as he shares practical tips for you to do the same. Scott will work through his process and show ways he leverages a variety of tools and offer tips for you to do just the same. And who knows, maybe you’ll come away with an idea for the next big product (just not an AI-rolling pin, ok?). Register now!

One Bio Raises $27M to Advance Short-Chain Fiber Ingredients for GLP-1 Friendly Foods

Today, One Bio, a startup that develops short-chain fiber food ingredients derived from plants, announced that it has raised a $27 million funding round led by Alpha Edison, alongside other investors including Leaps by Bayer and Mitsui E12 according to announcement sent to The Spoon. The company plans to use this funding to commercialize its technology, which makes dietary fiber flavorless and invisible.

“Modern food processing techniques strip plant fibers from our foods and starve the microbiome of the nutrients it needs to make us healthy,” explained Matt Barnard, co-founder and CEO of One Bio, in an interview with The Spoon this week. Barnard believes the modern diet’s reliance on highly processed foods has led to widespread fiber deficiency, a condition linked to a host of chronic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders. “What we enable is for fiber to be poured back into the diet.”

One Bio’s technology breaks down plant fibers into short-chain molecules that are tasteless, odorless, and seamlessly blend into everyday foods. “Whether it’s plant milks, cereals, or even sparkling water, we’re able to offer high-dose, high-function, anti-inflammatory fibers in just about anything on the grocery store shelf,” said Barnard.

Barnard compares what his company and others in the space are doing to efforts a century ago that increased awareness of the importance of vitamins and minerals. “Before that work, people weren’t aware of the diverse structures and their functions in the body. Fiber consumption is the malnutrition of the modern diet. We see this as a big breakthrough, both in understanding what fibers are and in unleashing their application across food categories.”

The investment in One Bio is yet another signal of a broader shift in the food industry, with major food brands adapting to the rise of GLP-1s. This marks a shift from the doom-and-gloom perspective of a year and a half ago, when these treatments were seen as a death knell for the world of packaged foods, to a more glass-half-full view that sees the trend as an opportunity. As Conagra Brands and others begin labeling products as “GLP-1 friendly” to cater to consumers using these medications, One Bio hopes to provide food companies with high-fiber, functional ingredients to integrate into their products.

“Our technology helps consumers not just address nutrient deficiencies but also offers an off-ramp from GLP-1 medications without their long-term side effects,” Barnard added.

CookUnity Acquires Cookin to Accelerate Growth As it Nears $500 Million in Annual Revenue

CookUnity has acquired Cookin, an online chef culinary commerce platform based in Toronto, the two companies announced this week. CookUnity, a New York City-based platform that delivers chef-created meals to consumers, will integrate Cookin’s 1,500 creators—ranging from home cooks to restaurant chefs—operating across 40 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces into their network of chef creators to power the company’s delivery service.

The deal will also bring Cookin’s SaaS technology to CookUnity’s chefs, providing a turnkey storefront that enables home cooks and chefs to create “Drops”—essentially short-term pop-ups without a big capital investment—as well as sell à la carte meals.

According to Cookin CEO Morley Ivers, the seeds for the deal were planted last summer when he met CookUnity founder and CEO Mateo Marietti.

“We immediately recognized the powerful synergy between our visions and the vast potential of combining our strengths,” wrote Ivers in a post on LinkedIn. “Together, we represent an unparalleled ecosystem that will make the food industry better, forever.”

While Cookin launched with a focus on smaller culinary creators, such as home cooks making meals out of their home kitchens (in this way, it was similar to the now-defunct Josephine or the Cook Alliance, a non-profit that launched last year to act as a marketplace for home cooks to sell meals), CookUnity focuses on chefs looking to launch an online business from their commercial kitchens. CookUnity’s expertise in logistics, ingredient sourcing, packaging, and delivery will bring additional services to the home chef community currently operating on Cookin’s platform.

On the ingredient side, the newly combined entity is launching the Ingredients Club, which will provide home chefs with access to wholesale food supplies. According to Ivers, CookUnity is responsible for spending around $100 million annually on ingredients for its chefs.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Ivers says all 52 Cookin shareholders approved the agreement, giving them equity in CookUnity. According to CookUnity, prior to the deal, they were approaching half a billion dollars in annual revenue and growing at 80% year over year.

Tomorrow Wants To Reinvent The Refrigerator to Make Fresh Food Last Longer

If there’s one appliance category in the kitchen that’s stayed stuck in time, it’s the refrigerator. Sure, cool new features like see-through doors and touchscreens have been added to some models, but in reality, the fridge has largely remained the same for most of the past century: a big, cold box where we put food inside and hope we remember to eat it.

A new Seattle-based startup called Tomorrow hopes to change that with their eponymous new refrigerator, the Tomorrow Fridge.

So how is the Tomorrow Fridge different? The company is keeping most details under wraps for now, but according to CEO Andrew Kinzer, the main difference is in how the Tomorrow Fridge treats fresh produce. Kinzer says the typical modern refrigerator is built to extend the life of produce through dehumidification, or the drying out of air to slow spoilage.

“What most people don’t know is that that stuff’s actually alive,” Kinzer told The Spoon. “It’s got metabolism, it’s breathing, it’s generating heat and carbon dioxide.”

In fact, pretty much all modern refrigerators function like dehumidifiers, drying out fruits and vegetables. While this helps eliminate mold, it also leads to more rapid spoilage.

“Anytime you see carrots that get really bendy, broccoli that gets kind of floppy, or lettuce that looks sad, that’s water loss,” Kinzer explained.

Kinzer says the Tomorrow Fridge will be able to adjust the environment in different storage spaces within the fridge to better preserve fresh produce.

While Kinzer and Tomorrow aren’t sharing specific details about their cooling system, he did reveal that they’ve filed for a patent and plan to release more information as they approach the fridge’s 2025 delivery date.

Another big feature of the Tomorrow Fridge is its ability to track what’s inside. Kinzer says the fridge will have overhead cameras to monitor inventory and help households plan meals. By leveraging AI-based large language models, the fridge can suggest recipes or notify users of what’s running low. This feature will be accessible through the Tomorrow Fridge app.

Unfortunately, we don’t yet have a clear picture of what the fridge will look like, feature specifics (such as whether it will include a freezer), or pricing. The company is keeping most details secret for now. One feature it won’t include, according to Kinzer, is gas-detecting sensors like those hinted at in Amazon’s patent or found in products like BlakBear food storage containers.

No matter what features the Tomorrow Fridge ultimately offers, we’ll be keeping an eye out. Readers of The Spoon know I’ve often bemoaned the lack of innovation in refrigerators. Sure, there are occasional new takes, like Samsung’s Family Hub or futuristic patents, but for the most part, fridges remain big, cold, air-drying boxes where a large percentage of our food goes bad.

Let’s hope the Tomorrow Fridge delivers on finally bringing some fresh ideas to the fridge.

Givaudan, Bühler Group, and Migros Open Doors to The Cultured Hub, a Scale-Up Facility for Cellular Agriculture

Three years after announcing a joint venture, Givaudan, Bühler Group, and Migros have finally opened the doors to The Cultured Hub, a cutting-edge biotech facility dedicated to cellular agriculture production in Kemptthal, Switzerland. Initially introduced in 2021 as the Cultured Food Innovation Hub with the stated mission of accelerating the development and market penetration of cellular agriculture products, the facility now boasts advanced product development labs as well as cell culture and bio-fermentation capabilities.

According to the announcement, the new facility will enable startups to scale up their processes from small-scale laboratory experiments (e.g., shake flasks) to 1,000-liter pilot operations without requiring expensive asset investments or equity dilution. The organization says the facility will allow emerging companies to access subject-matter experts and resources to “create regulatory batches with analysis and food safety procedures, test new products, work on optimizing processes, and conduct small market launches.”

In some ways, the new facility is reminiscent of MISTA, the San Francisco-based innovation hub resulting from a partnership between Givaudan and Bühler. However, unlike MISTA, which features facilities such as a biotech lab and an extrusion hub, The Cultured Hub’s infrastructure is specifically focused on cellular agriculture production for products such as cultivated beef, fish, dairy, and more.

“The Cultured Hub is designed to bridge the scale-up gap for companies, enabling them to retain equity, protect intellectual property, and fast-track their journey to market without high capital investment,” said Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer of Bühler Group. “We are thrilled to bring together industry players and create a collaborative environment that will drive significant advancements in the industry.”

The rise of shared-access facilities for piloting new cell-ag food products makes sense in today’s capital-constrained environment. Venture capital investment in cultivated food startups has slowed over the past couple of years, particularly as capital requirements have risen with many of these companies entering the scale-up phase. At the same time, it remains uncertain whether many of these products will ever reach the commodity price points required to make them viable replacements for traditional animal agriculture.

Notable companies participating in The Cultured Hub’s community include Ever After Foods, GOURMEY, Mosa Meat, Nestlé, Nutreco, and Orbillion Bio.

Sam Calisch Thinks Your Next Stove Should Have a Battery

After earning a PhD from MIT, Sam Calisch spent much of the past decade advocating for electrification and shaping climate policy as a lobbyist. His efforts included helping start Rewiring America, an organization focused on electrifying homes, businesses, and communities, as well as co-writing Electrify, a book about electrification, and a series called Circuit Breakers on the same topic.

But his work as a lobbyist revealed gaps in the market. “We were at a point where we no longer need huge, science project-type ideas,” Sam said. “What we need now are products that help deploy the amazing technologies we already have—solar, wind, batteries—faster and cheaper.”

This realization led him to explore creating a company to address those gaps. In 2020, he co-founded Copper, a company with a mission to transform how we cook and power our homes, starting with its flagship product: an induction stove with a built-in battery.

According to Sam, Copper was born to address a key adoption barrier: the high cost of electrical upgrades required for induction stoves. “People were spending more on rewiring their homes than on the stove itself,” Sam explained in an interview with The Spoon. His solution—a battery-integrated induction stove—allows users to plug into existing outlets, eliminating the need for costly electrical work.

But the battery wasn’t just a workaround—Sam believes it makes for a superior stove. “When you put a battery in a stove, it makes it a much better stove,” he said. “It’s silent, thanks to DC induction, and has enough power to preheat the oven in just four or five minutes. You can cook faster and more precisely than ever before.”

After securing a Department of Energy grant and venture funding, Sam and his co-founders began developing an early prototype. The first versions, however, weren’t exactly polished. “The first one I built, I lovingly call the shopping cart,” Sam said. “It was a set of rolling wire shelves with the components strapped on. I was so proud of it, but when I sent pictures to some folks in the industry, they couldn’t quite see the vision.”

Since then, Copper has come a long way. The company now assembles its stoves in California and primarily sells them in New York and California, with plans to expand. “We’re scaling manufacturing and doing deliveries every day,” Sam said. “It’s inspiring to see people switch to our product and love cooking on it.”

Beyond cooking, Copper’s stoves could play a larger role in energy management. The built-in battery allows users to store renewable energy and use it during peak times, reducing reliance on the grid. “It’s a powerful tool,” Sam explained. “You can charge the battery with solar power during the day and cook with it at night. It’s about giving people agency over how and when they use energy.”

Looking ahead, Copper plans to launch more appliances that bridge the gap between sustainability and performance. “Look around your house—especially at the appliances that use gas today,” Sam said. “We’ve got exciting projects in the works.”

For Sam Calisch, Copper isn’t just about selling stoves—it’s about transforming how people think about electrification. “We want to make switching easy and show the best versions of what’s possible,” he said.

You can listen to my full conversation with Sam by clicking the podcast player below, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This Japanese Snack Company is Selling Personalized Granola Based a Person’s Microbiome

Last month in Tokyo at the Smart Kitchen Summit Japan, we learned about a new personalized cereal offering from Japanese snack and breakfast food company Calbee. Called Body Granola, the product provides a personalized mix of prebiotics and cereal tailored to a customer’s microbiome, as determined by an at-home test.

Here’s how it works: Once customers sign up, they receive an internal flora (microbiome) stool sample test kit. They take the test and send it to Calbee’s testing partner, Metagin, for analysis. About six weeks later, customers can access their results via the Body Granola website. From there, they can order their personalized granola by selecting prebiotic ingredients that best align with the primary bacteria in their microbiome.

As shown in the video interview, these prebiotics come in the form of letter- and color-coded toppings that are mixed with Calbee’s base granola. While the granola itself isn’t mixed specifically for each customer, customers are guided to a limited number of options tailored to support certain types of microbiome microflora. They then mix the prescribed final cereal at home.

Several startups in the U.S. have rolled out personalized nutrition offerings based on microbiome DNA testing, resulting in customized meal plans or supplement subscriptions. However, none of the major CPG brands have ventured into microbiome testing or other personalized testing—let alone offered a subscription service for customized consumables like this.

Currently, the product is only available in Japan, but the company says it plans to expand to the U.S. and other locations in the future.

Calbee Body Granola - Personalized Granola