MealMe, an integration API that embeds food and retail ordering into consumer apps and websites, announced Thursday that it has secured $8 million in Series A funding. The new funding brings the total amount raised to $16 million.
MealMe has undergone several changes since its launch in 2019. Initially, it was a consumer app designed to help people find the best deals on delivery from restaurants and grocery stores. It has since evolved to allow consumers to order food directly through the MealMe app.
The company has now fully transitioned to a B2B model and provides an API for other businesses to integrate ordering technology into their applications and websites. When businesses integrate with MealMe's API, they gain access to real-time product pricing and availability, and the ability for customers to order products from local stores.
MealMe says its API provides inventory data for more than 1 billion products from more than 1.2 million grocery stores, restaurants, and retailers in the U.S. and Canada. We currently serve over 100 customers including Fantuan Delivery, Favor Delivery, TripAdvisor, and more.
Image credit: Meal Me
Co-founder and President Matthew Bouchner told TechCrunch: It can become the infrastructure layer for anyone pivoting to B2B and needing the ability to retrieve menus, inventory, and send orders to stores. ”
Bouchner added that the company made the pivot after seeing a growing trend in embedded commerce, which essentially involves integrating e-commerce functionality into existing platforms. This allows businesses to offer products directly to their customers through the platforms they already use.
“Everything will be embedded. You will be able to use AI-based assistants to order from your car, TV, and existing social networking apps. The infrastructure that connects consumer-facing platforms to stores and stores. “We need a layer of marketplace…I think we're going to be at the forefront of everything embedded for years to come,” he said.
The Series A was led by Mercury Funds, with participation from existing investors Geingels and Palm Drive Capital.
The company plans to use the new funding to strengthen its marketing efforts and grow its team to provide better developer support to its enterprise customers. In addition to food ordering and delivery, the company also aims to focus on expanding into other areas such as broader e-commerce and AI.