Yumble, the startup that ships kids meals directly to your door, announced today that it has closed a $7 million Series A round of funding led by Sonoma Brands. This brings the total amount raised by the company to $8.5 million.
As we wrote about Yumble a little more than a year ago:
“With its kid-friendly prepared meal kit service, Yumble is targeting busy parents who still want to feed their kids nutritious lunches and dinners, but may lack the time to do so every day of the week.
One way Yumble does this is by sending meals that are already cooked, so all you have to do is re-heat them. Portions are kid appropriate, and menu items include Pretzel Chicken (with green beans and brown rice), Egg ‘Wich (with sweet potato fries), and Caprese Wheel (with carrots and grapes). They also offer snacks as well as options such as gluten free or vegetarian.”
Though the specific food items we listed then are no longer available, the same types of playful, healthy meals remain with the current menu options. After a special introductory rate, pricing is just under $50 for 6 meals per week for one kid, roughly $90 for 12 meals for 1 – 2 kids, and about $168 for 24 meals for 2 -3 kids. Right now, Yumble is only available on the East Coast.
According to the funding announcement, Yumble will use this new money to invest in marketing, hire people and expand nationally.
Yumble isn’t technically a “meal kit” as we typically define them around here since there isn’t anything to cook in a Yumble box. That ready-to-go aspect — and the company’s specific focus on kids — could be what helped them raise new money in a turbulent time for meal kits. Meal kits by mail are giving way to meal kits in the supermarket aisle, convenience store, office fridge and even restaurant drive-through window.
But opening up new sales channels is where Sonoma Brands as a lead investor could make an even bigger impact for Yumble. Sonoma’s portfolio of brands includes KRAVE jerky, Guayaki yerba mate beverages, and Dang foods. Yumble could leverage that experience to get into retail and open up more direct sales.
