MealMe, a unified API that embeds meals and retail ordering into client apps and web sites, introduced on Thursday that it secured $8 million in Series A funding. The newly raised capital brings the entire quantity raised to $16 million.
MealMe has undergone a number of adjustments since its launch in 2019. Initially, it was a client app designed to assist folks discover the most effective offers on supply from eating places and grocery shops. It then developed to permit customers to order meals straight by way of the MealMe app.
The firm has now fully transitioned to a B2B mannequin, providing its API for different companies to combine ordering know-how into their purposes and web sites. When an organization integrates MealMe’s API, it will get entry to real-time product pricing and availability, and it allows prospects to order their merchandise from native shops.
MealMe says that its API offers stock information on greater than 1 billion merchandise from greater than 1.2 million grocery shops, eating places, and retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada. It at present serves greater than 100 prospects, together with Fantuan Delivery, Favor Delivery, TripAdvisor, and others.
Matthew Bouchner, co-founder and president, instructed TechCrunch, “We constructed the API for ourselves with the patron app so as to add ordering from shops into our app, after which realized that, OK, nicely, we will proceed rising our app, or we will pivot to B2B and be the infrastructure layer for anyone that wants the flexibility to tug menus and stock and ship orders into shops.”
Bouchner added that the corporate made the pivot after seeing the rising pattern of embedded commerce, which primarily includes integrating e-commerce options into present platforms. This permits companies to supply their merchandise on to prospects by way of platforms they already use.
“Everything goes to be embedded. You’re going to have the ability to order out of your automotive, out of your TV, out of your present social networking apps, along with your AI-based assistant, and there must be an infrastructure layer that connects that consumer-facing platform to shops and to marketplaces … I feel that we’re going to be on the forefront of every little thing embedded for years to come back,” he mentioned.
The Series A was led by Mercury Fund with participation from present traders Gaingels and Palm Drive Capital.
The firm will use the brand new capital to strengthen advertising and marketing efforts and develop the staff to ship higher developer assist to enterprise prospects. In addition to meals ordering and supply, the corporate goals to deal with increasing into different areas, corresponding to broader e-commerce and AI.
