Kitchen tech startup Nomiku is winding down operations 1

This week, Kitchen tech startup Nomiku posted on its website that it is winding down operations. Nomiku, a San Francisco-based startup was founded after a successful Kickstarter project  for its inaugural Nomiku Immersion Circulator.  At that time, the company raised more than $1.3 million over two Kickstarter campaigns.

In 2017, Samsung Ventures invested in the company, with plans to integrate it into its SmartThings connected platform.

After its successful kickstarter campaign, the company scored a glowing TechCrunch profile,   and had a lot going for it. Reflecting on the downturn, Lisa Fetterman said in a call to TechCrunch

“The total climate for food tech is different than it used to be, there was a time when food tech and hardware were much more hot and viable. I think a company can survive a few hurdles, and a few challenges [ …] For me, it was the perfect storm of all these things.”

Explaining her decision to shut operations, Fetterman blogged on Nomiku’s  website:

Well, I am sorry to say that we have reached the end of the road. It is with a heavy heart (and deep-felt gratitude for your patronage) that we are writing to let you know that we are discontinuing the Nomiku Smart Cooker and Nomiku Meals effective immediately, and suspending operations. While we still believe in the concept, we simply were not able to get to a place of sustainability to keep the business going. Thank you very much for your support, it has meant a lot to myself and everyone here at Nomiku.

Ms. Fetterman founded Nomiku after working at some of the top restaurants in the country including Babbo and Jean-Georges in New York and Saison in San Francisco. She has been featured in Wired, Make, and Forbes, and was named on Inc, Forbes, and Zagat Survey’s 30 Under 30 lists for her pioneering work in the food space.