Acquisition
Nov 2017Tovala acquired Radish, a Chicago food-delivery startup, to expand menu options and operational know-how.
SourceCompany research
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 29, 2026
Overview
Chicago-based food-tech company that pairs chef-crafted meal delivery with a QR-scan smart oven to automate home cooking; meals are delivered fresh and can be cooked in about 20 minutes with minimal prep.
Primary product
Tovala Smart Oven paired with weekly chef-crafted meal delivery
Founded
2015
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Team size
100-150
Work style
Flexible
Industry
Food & Beverages
Sub-industry
meal kit and connected kitchen appliances
Offices
1021 W Adams St, Chicago, IL 60607
815 W Pershing St, Chicago, IL
248 Tubeway Drive, Carol Stream, IL
5041 W 2400 S, West Valley City, UT
Urbana, IL (R&D/prototyping lab at The Product Manufactory)
Business model
DTC subscription meal delivery
connected appliance sales
cross-sold consumables / meal plans
hardware + consumables
Funding
Stage
Series C / late-stage venture
Total raised
$119M
Latest round
Series C · Jul 2022
Latest amount
$56M
May 2022 · Forecast Labs / Samsung NEXT
Feb 2021 · Left Lane Capital
Jun 2020 · Finistere Ventures
Corporate / strategic investment
Feb 2018 · Tyson Ventures
Dec 2017 · Origin Ventures
People & investors
Leadership
Founder & CEO
Chief Technology Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Manufacturing Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Culinary Officer
Founders
Co-Founder & CTO
Investors
Andy Appelbaum
Beringea
Caruso Ventures
Changer Club
Chris Fanini
Comcast Ventures
Dan Veltri
DYDX
Finaccess Capital
Finistere Ventures
FJ Labs
Forecast Labs
Gordon Segal
GREE
Harvard Business School Alumni Angels Association
Joe Mansueto
Kyle Vogt
Larry Levy
Left Lane Capital
New Stack Ventures
Origin Ventures
OurCrowd
Paul Buchheit
Pritzker Group Venture Capital
Rich Products Ventures
Samsung NEXT
Service Provider Capital
Tyson
Tyson Ventures
University of Chicago
Work & culture
Team-first, direct, customer-obsessed, execution-oriented culture that emphasizes getting things done well, connecting the dots, embracing obstacles, and championing the customer.
Work style
Flexible
Visa sponsorship
Yes
Compensation
Jobs emphasize market-based pay plus equity rather than top-of-market cash alone. Public postings cite salary bands such as $130k-$160k for Senior Software Engineer and $115k-$150k for Test Lab Engineer, alongside comprehensive healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO minimums, winter shutdown, and product perks.
Benefits
Flexible paid time off with a minimum of 15 days
Comprehensive healthcare coverage
401(k) with company match
Free Tovala Smart Oven
Discounted Tovala meals
Paid holidays
Winter holiday office shutdown
Equity / ownership
Learning stipend
Casual dress code
Product & market
Pricing
Subscription pricing per serving, plus hardware incentives/discounts tied to meal commitments; meals start around $8.99 per serving on the public site.
Differentiators
- —Smart oven automatically programs cook cycles from a QR scan
- —Integrated appliance + meal subscription model
- —Fresh meals with about 1 minute of prep and 20 minutes or less cook time
- —Can also cook many grocery items and non-Tovala foods
- —Single-, two-, and four-serving meal formats
- —Chef-crafted meals developed in-house
Technology
Go
AWS
React
TypeScript
Terraform
CloudFormation
Cursor
GitHub Copilot
Claude Code
QR / scan-to-cook automation
Customers
Busy households
Couples
Families
Meal-plan subscribers
Health-conscious home cooks
Smart-oven owners
Competitors
HelloFresh
Home Chef
Factor
Blue Apron
CookUnity
Hungryroot
June
Scale & contact
Estimated revenue
$100M+
Estimated monthly visits
364.6K
Traffic estimate as of Jun 2026
Signals & risks
Other
Mar 2020Founder David Rabie later described a period when a Series B fell apart and the company had about three weeks of cash left before a rescue financing was assembled.
SourceLayoff
Jan 2024A former recruiter posted that a recent restructure at Tovala put them back in the job market.
SourceLayoff
Feb 2024A former employee said their time at Tovala ended because of recent restructuring and used the post hashtag #layoffs.
SourceLatest news
AdExchanger · Jun 2026
A marketing profile explaining how Tovala monetizes subscriptions and tests acquisition channels while considering future brand partnerships.
PR Newswire · May 2026
Tovala named Scott Braun CMO as it neared 50 million meals delivered and continued expanding its smart-oven and meal platform.
PR Newswire · Apr 2026
Tovala launched Family Meals, expanding from single-serve meals into four-serving meals that cook in the smart oven with minimal prep.
Inc. · Mar 2026
Inc profiled Tovala’s near-runway crisis in 2020 and later profitability, nine-figure revenue, and 2024 profitability.
Fast Company · Nov 2025
CEO David Rabie described Tovala’s shift from rapid growth to profitability discipline after a difficult funding period.
Jobs and careers at Tovala
7 jobs at Tovala
FSQA (Food Safety Quality Assurance) Manager
On-site
West Valley City, UT
1mo ago
On-site
Full-time
Part-Time Assembler
On-site
248 Tubeway Drive, Carol Stream, IL
1mo ago
On-site
Part-time
Senior Director, Brand
Hybrid
1021 W Adams St, Chicago, IL
1mo ago
Hybrid
Full-time
Assembler (Food Manufacturing)
On-site
West Valley City, UT
2mo ago
On-site
Full-time
Sanitation Specialist
On-site
5041 W 2400 S, West Valley City, UT
2mo ago
On-site
Full-time
Copywriter
Hybrid
1021 W Adams St, Chicago, IL
4mo ago
Hybrid
Full-time
Sanitation Lead
On-site
5041 W 2400 S, West Valley City, UT
5mo ago
On-site
Full-time