NEW YORK — You might describe Yumble as Blue Apron meets “Blue’s Clues.” This meal delivery start-up was built for children — or, rather, time-crunched parents of children ages 4-12 — shipping healthy lunches, dinners and snacks developed for young palates to doorsteps each week.
The company has closed a Series A funding round led by Sonoma Brands, the investment and incubator firm launched by Krave Jerky founder Jon Sebastiani. Danone Manifesto Ventures, the venture arm of Danone, also participated in the funding. To date, Yumble has raised $8.5 million, with plans to invest in marketing and national expansion.
Yumble was founded by Joanna and David Parker, a husband-and-wife team with three children.
“As a mom, I know we’re solving a truly painful problem for parents: wanting to put healthy and tasty food in front of our kids but having no time to actually do it,” Ms. Parker said. “So, it’s no surprise to me that parents are finding value in our service. What’s surprised me so far is how big of an impact we’ve had in just one year and with only a team of seven people. It’s exciting to imagine what we’ll be able to accomplish with these new resources and partners.”
The company sources seasonal, local and organic ingredients when possible and serves meals featuring a variety of vegetables, grains, proteins, fats, herbs and spices.
“Since launching, we’ve experienced overwhelming growth — more than 30% month-over-month during the first year,” Mr. Parker said. “Our new investors will help us capitalize on this initial success in a big way. With a team of proven entrepreneurs, Sonoma Brands has a proven ability in building and investing in world-class brands, and Danone Manifesto Ventures’ expertise, resources and passion for creating a new generation of better-for-you food brands will be tremendous assets as we scale to help more parents serve healthy food to their children.”
Meals include macaroni and cheese with veggie tots, orzo salad with organic carrot sticks, and a pizza empanada with cheddar cheese mashed potatoes and broccoli. The fully cooked offerings may be served as is or heated in the microwave for 90 seconds or less. Ms. Parker said she spent two years perfecting the recipes, starting with popular children’s foods and adding nutritious tweaks.
“Their offering is clearly resonating with consumers in a big way, and we’re thrilled to support the Yumble team and bring to bear our experience partnering with leading digital and food and beverage brands,” Mr. Sebastiani said. “Innovation around food is core to who we are at Sonoma Brands. Yumble has an incredible opportunity to bring better tasting and better-for-you meals to families across the country, and that is a mission we’re proud to join.”
Laurent Marcel, managing director of Danone Manifesto Ventures, added, “Since we started our venture activity two years ago, we have looked at many opportunities around childhood nutrition and are excited by the disruption Yumble brings, sitting at the intersection of an emerging direct-to-consumer channel, offering fresh, healthy meals that kids love with a relatable brand for millennial parents. Through this investment, Danone will further our commitment to contribute to improving children’s dietary habits by leveraging our expertise, helping Yumble drive access to nutritious, quality offerings for kids.”