🍳 Zest: All-in-one cooking app backed by Techstars

160k+ users with “exceptional” 10% week-over-week growth   New Deal Launch ~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9yZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vemVzdD91dG1fc291cmNlPXJlcHVibGljLmNvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW9mZmVyaW5ncyUyRmxhdW5jaF9hbm5vdW5jZW1lbnRfbWFpbGVyLm9mZmVyaW5nX2xhdW5jaGVkJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXplc3RfYWxsX3plc3QmdXRtX3Rlcm09emVzdFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~   Zest launches on Republic Helping users level up their cooking — with lessons, recipes, & a digital shopping assistant ~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9yZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vemVzdD91dG1fc291cmNlPXJlcHVibGljLmNvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW9mZmVyaW5ncyUyRmxhdW5jaF9hbm5vdW5jZW1lbnRfbWFpbGVyLm9mZmVyaW5nX2xhdW5jaGVkJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXplc3RfYWxsX3plc3QmdXRtX3Rlcm09emVzdFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~   ~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9yZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vemVzdD91dG1fc291cmNlPXJlcHVibGljLmNvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW9mZmVyaW5ncyUyRmxhdW5jaF9hbm5vdW5jZW1lbnRfbWFpbGVyLm9mZmVyaW5nX2xhdW5jaGVkJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXplc3RfYWxsX3plc3QmdXRtX3Rlcm09emVzdFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~ [View Zest on Republic](~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9yZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vemVzdD91dG1fc291cmNlPXJlcHVibGljLmNvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW9mZmVyaW5ncyUyRmxhdW5jaF9hbm5vdW5jZW1lbnRfbWFpbGVyLm9mZmVyaW5nX2xhdW5jaGVkJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXplc3RfYWxsX3plc3QmdXRtX3Rlcm09emVzdFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~)   THE PITCH Consumers have been embracing alternatives to costly takeout: Doordash revenue hit [$6.6B in 2022](~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RhdGlzdGEuY29tL3N0YXRpc3RpY3MvMTI5NDQ5OC9kb29yZGFzaC1hbm51YWwtcmV2ZW51ZS8jOn46dGV4dD1JbiUyMDIwMjElMkMlMjBEb29yRGFzaCUyMGdlbmVyYXRlZCUyMHJldmVudWVzLDIwMTMlMjBpbiUyMFBhbG8lMjBBbHRvJTJDJTIwQ2FsaWZvcm5pYS5XA3NwY0IKZCEp-SZk7FQDplIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAHO), while meal kit delivery giant HelloFresh generated [$4.8B.](~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0RMaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3RhdGlzdGEuY29tL3N0YXRpc3RpY3MvOTQ4MDczL2hlbGxvZnJlc2gtbmV0LXJldmVudWUtYnktcmVnaW9uL1cDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~) As of now, no single app is dominating the true home-cooking market — and Zest has whipped up a fresh take in this fragmented space, with a focus on cooking education and accessibility. PRODUCT Zest is an app that provides guidance and support to home cooks at every step. The platform offers a recipe database, shopping assistant, and cooking teachers that adapt to users' capabilities. By helping users build their skills and knowledge incrementally, Zest helps them gain confidence in the kitchen and making cooking part of their everyday routine. TRACTION The company has achieved substantial growth in users and revenue in the last 6 months with zero marketing spend. 160k accounts have been created since 2021, growing at 10% week-over-week — a rate [described as “exceptional”](~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0QlaHR0cDovL3d3dy5wYXVsZ3JhaGFtLmNvbS9ncm93dGguaHRtbFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~) by Y Combinator founder Paul Graham. TEAM Jake Gutstein (Co-Founder & CEO) is a three-time founder and alum of Deloitte Consulting and Shore Capital. Amrit Saini (Co-Founder & CTO) has 10+ years of engineering experience with LexisNexis, Express, and Abercrombie. FUNDING Zest is backed by Techstars, and has raised $265k to date.   ~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9yZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vemVzdD91dG1fc291cmNlPXJlcHVibGljLmNvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW9mZmVyaW5ncyUyRmxhdW5jaF9hbm5vdW5jZW1lbnRfbWFpbGVyLm9mZmVyaW5nX2xhdW5jaGVkJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXplc3RfYWxsX3plc3QmdXRtX3Rlcm09emVzdFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~ ~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9yZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vemVzdD91dG1fc291cmNlPXJlcHVibGljLmNvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW9mZmVyaW5ncyUyRmxhdW5jaF9hbm5vdW5jZW1lbnRfbWFpbGVyLm9mZmVyaW5nX2xhdW5jaGVkJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXplc3RfYWxsX3plc3QmdXRtX3Rlcm09emVzdFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~   [View Zest on Republic](~/AAQRxQA~/RgRmCX4pP0SvaHR0cHM6Ly9yZXB1YmxpYy5jb20vemVzdD91dG1fc291cmNlPXJlcHVibGljLmNvJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW9mZmVyaW5ncyUyRmxhdW5jaF9hbm5vdW5jZW1lbnRfbWFpbGVyLm9mZmVyaW5nX2xhdW5jaGVkJnV0bV9jb250ZW50PXplc3RfYWxsX3plc3QmdXRtX3Rlcm09emVzdFcDc3BjQgpkISn5JmTsVAOmUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAc4~)   Highlights are derived, and based entirely upon the Issuer’s representations. 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