Subscription school lunch service Wise Apple, which launched as Pak'd in August last year, just announced a $3.6 million seed round.
Pritzker Group Venture Capital and Levy Family Partners led the round. Chicago Ventures, Greycroft Partners, BoxGroup and Irish Angels also participated.
Wise Apple will use part of the seed round to expand into new markets.
“We’re really focused on the Midwest for the rest of 2017 and a good portion of 2018,” said co-founder Nate Cooper. “If we continue to see the growth that we’re seeing, we’ll be looking for new markets starting back to school 2018.”
The startup, which was part of the Techstars Chicago class of 2016, will also add jobs to its Humboldt Park-based production operation. Its business-side headcount, which currently sits at 12 employees, will remain unchanged.
Sonia Nagar, VP of Pritzker Group Venture Capital, said the decision to invest in Wise Apple came after evaluating its early traction.
“Wise Apple takes meal delivery a step further, solving a huge pain point for parents by delivering convenient, healthy, fresh meals for kids,” Nagar said in a statement. “The market feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s clear that the product and service the team at Wise Apple built solves a real problem.”
Wise Apple is designed for busy parents who need help making their kids wholesome lunches and snacks. The menu is carefully curated by an in-house culinary team and pediatric dietician to ensure that meals are both healthy and appetizing.
Nutritional information for each item can found on the startup’s website, and the team offers meals to fit dietary restrictions like gluten and nut allergies.
“Choosing Wise Apple as a your lunch option gives parents convenience while still providing wholesome foods,” said CEO Rebecca Sholiton in a statement. “We’ve learned that when kids are involved in the meal selection process, they are more likely to eat the food.”
This seed round brings Wise Apple’s total funding to $4.3 million.
Image via Wise Apple.
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