Cookaroo: Most Innovative Food Start-up

Cookaroo, the food-delivery startup has raised an undisclosed amount in the angel round of funding from Vijay Krishna Yadav of Highland Hospitalities and Sachindra Murugesh. The funds will be utilized towards technology development and to scale operations across Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Angel funding is funding that provides financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs. Angel investors are usually found among an entrepreneur's family and friends. The capital they provide can be a one-time injection of seed money or ongoing support to carry the company through difficult times.

Bangalore based startup, founded by Darshan Subhash, Eraj Hassan and Nikhil Karanjkar, was started in 2015 with an aim to deliver freshly cooked meals by working with commercial kitchens that are not used to their full capacities. “We will be utilizing a significant chunk of our funds towards improving the technology to serve our customers better. Through this investment, we are also planning to expand across different areas in Bangalore as well as in Hyderabad” said Darshan Subhash, CEO & Co- Founder, Cookaroo.

Along with providing redefined customer experience, the startup also addresses the problems that exist in the supply chain side. It standardizes the consumer experience by utilizing the excess capacity in the market that is under-monetized and inefficient.

Vijay Krishna Yadav, MD, Highland Hospitalities said “Cookaroo’s business model is similar to OYO rooms’ business model in the budget accommodation space. This unique and scalable model has allowed them to be profitable early on in the business. Most food delivery startups today are only addressing the consumer side of the food delivery ecosystem. Cookaroo is not only addressing consumer pain points but is also solving the problems that exist in the supply chain side. We believe that Cookaroo is in a good position to grow into a strong player in the burgeoning food delivery industry”

Cookaroo currently processes more than 200 orders per day with a gross margin of 21.5% and has 15 operational commercial kitchens across JP, Jayanagar, HSR, Koramangala, and Central business district. In the coming months, Cookaroo plans to expand to Sarjapur, Kammanahalli, Bellandur and many other prominent IT corridors in the city.

Cookaroo’s vision is to be the most preferred food option for office goers by bringing elements such as focused menu, processed food, own recipes, standardized processes, quick turnaround, convenience and capital efficiency.

By April 2016, the startup will also launch its operations in Hyderabad.