Whirlpool acquires Yummly to make a smarter kitchen

By Garrett Hulfish May 6, 2017

whirlpool yummly 6 4 cu ft combination wall oven p150072 22z — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In kitchens of today, a fridge or a toaster can have more computing power than early cell phones. Appliances are getting smarter, which means cooking and shopping for food is getting more convenient.

Whirlpool, well known for its kitchen and home appliances, has been on a mission to bring purposeful, relevant innovations into the fast-growing market of smart tech. As part of said mission, Whirlpool has announced their plans to acquire Yummly.

“We are committed to introducing new products to market that remove complexity from the day-to-day lives of consumers,” said Brett Dibkey, vice president of Integrated Business Units for Whirlpool Corporation. “Increasingly, these products will be defined by both physical and digital experiences. Yummly brings an outstanding platform on which to begin building our digital product offering,”

Founded in 2009, Yummly is a leading digital platform for personalized recipes and cooking resources. Through the mobile app or on the web, users can find handy tools, videos, and more. Using patented technology and proprietary data, Yummly understands food and taste so it can offer the best recipes for a specific taste preference.

Whirlpool is already a leader in building a connected kitchen. Millions of people around the world use Whirlpool appliances each day to prepare meals. With the Yummly acquisition, Whirlpool hopes dramatically reduce the stress of meal planning. Their goal is to help answer the question, “What’s for dinner tonight?”

“We are extremely excited about the opportunities and innovations we can create with Whirlpool Corporation,” said Brian Witlin, CEO of Yummly. “Whirlpool’s purposeful and consumer-centric approach to innovation aligns perfectly with what we do, who we are, and what we seek to create for consumers as the kitchen becomes ever-more digitally connected.”

The transaction is expected to finalize sometime in May 2017. Yummly will continue to operate out of its current headquarters in Redwood City, California as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

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