There may soon be no need for microwaves in office kitchens anymore, because a Ukrainian startup has invented a smart food container which can heat food, boil water, make smoothies and even keep ice cream cold on the go.
Called Neoven and founded by Ukrainians in Tel Aviv, this startup has already crowdfunded nearly $90,000 on U.S. online fundraising platform Kickstarter, four times more than the team had expected to receive.
The developer’s idea was to create a gadget that helps avoid public microwaves and refrigerators “that tend to be old and dirty.”
“The ability to heat food, to make coffee or tea, make freshly squeezed juice and also eat desserts, anywhere, anytime – that is a unique experience the Neoven can give you,” Maxim Nakonechnyy, the startup’s CEO, told to Kyiv Post.
The Neoven allows users to prepare food remotely by using a mobile application on both Android and iOS devices.
Apart from the main heating module, the device includes three other configurations, which allow it to behave as a refrigerator, a mixer or a kettle. Inside, the smart food container has a built-in heating element called Heta and powered by two 6,000 milliampere hour accumulators. After two hours of charging, the accumulators give the device the power to work for 5 hours.
It is possible to pre-set a timer and prepare food at any chosen time.
The Neoven will come as a kit that includes containers of various sizes, a tableware compartment, a kettle, a mixer, a fridge and a charging wire. The components are held together with magnets and can be placed in the main part of the device as one prefers.
After the successful crowdfunding campaign, the startup can produce its first batch of smart ovens for 30 Kickstarter backers and distribute them by summer 2020, according to Nakonechnyy.
“I receive orders from all over the world. People are waiting for the start of sales,” he said.
The company expects the United States to be its main market. In fact, the startup has already been registered in the U.S, and its team plans to move to Silicon Valley “to be in touch with the largest startup ecosystem and investors.”
The team also plans to launch a small-scale production in Ukraine and distribute its product here through local retailers.
The starting price for the Neoven portable oven is $199, but it won’t include the kettle, fridge and mixer modules. For them, one will have to pay $279.
Nakonechny founded Neoven in 2017. The startup then moved to Tel Aviv, the second-best technological center to develop a startup, according to The Startup Ecosystem Report. Now the team of 5 people is based between Ukraine, Israel and the U.S.
