Blue Apron, the subscription service that delivers pre-measured and packaged gourmet ingredients for home cooking, just received $135 million in its latest round of funding. The company plans to use the funds to expand and improve on its supply chain and fulfillment capabilities.
Founded in 2012, Blue Apron offers plans for two-person households as well as family plans. With the two-person offer, customers receive three meals per week for $59.94. A family of four can receive recipes and ingredients for four meals per week at an individual cost of $8.74 per meal ($139.84 overall).
Recipes are created by Blue Apron's team as well as guest chefs. Meals, according to the company, take 35 minutes to prepare and are in the 500 to 700 calorie range. The company promises that recipes are never repeated in the same year. Shipping is free nationwide and ingredients are delivered in a refrigerated box to keep the food fresh.
"If you think about what we do, it's really quite challenging," Matt Salzberg, cofounder and CEO of Blue Apron, told Fast Company. "Every single week, the menu changes 100 percent, and in a high-growth environment it's quite difficult to keep up with the fulfillment side of things."
![[Image: Blue Apron]](/public/images/discussions/18334/blue-apron-still.jpg)
Blue Apron is not alone in the meal kit market. HelloFresh and Plated are two other startups competing for the same customers. HelloFresh, according to Crain's New York, announced it had received $126 million in funding back in February. Plated has raised $21.4 million to date.
- Learn More - Blue Apron
- How It Works - HelloFresh
- Eating Well Made Easy - Plated
- Blue Apron Confirmds $2 Billion Valuation in Latest Funding Round - The Wall Street Journal (sub. required)
- Battle to serve fresh foods heats up: Blue Apron nabs $135 million - Crain's New York
- With New $135 Million Series D, Blue Apron Takes the Lead in Funding For Meal-Kit Startups - Fast Company