RealEats Elevates Commitment to Healthier Food Future through $2.8M Capital Raise
Michelin chef and food-tech veteran Erik Battes joins as president
GENEVA, N.Y., July 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- RealEats, a ready-to-eat meal delivery service that uses an innovative packaging technique and process to make real food simple for consumers, today announced it has completed a $2.8 million Seed Series round. The raise – involving a number of private and public investors, including Armory Square Ventures – was led by Finger Lakes Forward Venture Capital Fund L.P., which is backed by Empire State Development and managed by Excell Partners. Wiley Cerilli, who was on the founding team of Seamless, also joined the round as an investor.
"RealEats is located right here in our backyard, and it brings the power of New York state's farms to tables across the nation," said Rami Katz, chief operating officer of Excell Partners. "We are eager to see all that RealEats will continue to accomplish in the near future and watch as the company changes the food industry for the better."
"I have not seen as unique or relevant of an offering in the meal delivery services space as RealEats. Given my background, I am confident we will work together to be a fiercely competitive force in the industry," added Cerilli.
Unlike most meal delivery services, RealEats provides healthy, farm-to-table meals that reduce food waste by staying naturally fresh for a week when refrigerated. The company uses only real ingredients, many of which are from a carefully selected network of local farms in upstate New York, located nearby its kitchen and production facility. RealEats meals are chef-made and dietician-approved and use a patent-pending methodology and packaging technique inspired by the classic sous-vide style of French cuisine. They can be heated in minutes, without a microwave, and cater to time-strapped, health-conscious consumers seeking out a nutritious diet. RealEats is dedicated to enhancing the experience of eating at home by making it quick, easy and delicious for people to enjoy the nutritional benefits of real food.
"This capital raise will allow us to solve the dinner dilemma by bridging the gap between healthy and easy for a whole lot more people," said Dan Wise, CEO of RealEats. "It also further solidifies our relationship with upstate New York, giving RealEats the opportunity to increase its support for the region's independent farms and businesses and create much needed rural jobs."
RealEats has received support from New York State, Ontario County and the City of Geneva, along with the Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell University. This private-public collaboration has allowed the company to grow its local strategy and has become its blueprint for building a healthier food future across America and beyond.
The capital raise adds to the $1 million grand prize from last year's Grow-NY Competition. RealEats also recently became the first meal delivery service company to partner with Partnership for a Healthier America in recognition of its strides to improve the country's food landscape.
"We are big fans of what Dan and his team are building. At Armory Square Ventures, we focus on helping companies in regions like upstate New York scale through our capital and networks," said Somak Chattopadhyay, managing partner of Armory Square Ventures.
"Cornell's Center of Excellence is proud to partner with RealEats as it grows jobs and opportunities to meet the demand for convenient, healthful and delicious meals delivered straight to consumers," said executive director of the NYS Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture and former New York State Sen. Catharine Young. "We are thrilled with RealEats' progress and expect continued accomplishments as we work together to grow this vital sector of our economy."
In addition to its capital raise, RealEats is also pleased to announce Erik Battes is joining the company as president. Prior to joining RealEats, Erik served as co-CEO at Good Uncle – an innovative, app-based, on-demand food delivery business that brings freshly prepared, restaurant quality meals to conveniently located pick-up points around college campuses. Battes oversaw all operations and culinary product development and led the business to an acquisition by Aramark Corporation (NYSE:ARMK) in May of 2019.
Battes was previously culinary director of development for Starr Restaurants, working directly under Stephen Starr where he managed operations and culinary development for 36 multi-concept restaurants with a team of 4,000 employees and annual revenues of $200 million. He was named to Zagat's "30-Under-30" list in 2012 and was a competitor on "Iron Chef America" on The Food Network in 2018.
RealEats currently ships its meals – including gluten-free, dairy-free and plant-based options – to customers in 28 states and is continuing to expand its distribution. See how RealEats is transforming the marketplace by visiting RealEats.com.
About RealEats
RealEats was founded in 2017 by Dan Wise, a busy single dad, with a mission to build a healthier food future by making it simple for anybody to enjoy real food. The company develops seasonal menus that incorporate fresh, local, sustainable and nutrient dense foods. RealEats currently serves customers in 28 states. For more information about RealEats and to join the real food movement, visit RealEats.com, or find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/RealEatsFood, Instagram at @RealEatsFood or Twitter at @RealEats.
SOURCE RealEats America, Inc.
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