Tastemade

High-Level Overview

Tastemade is a modern media company specializing in food, travel, and home & design content, delivering award-winning video programming across digital, mobile, streaming OTT, and linear TV platforms to a global audience of over 300 million monthly viewers.[2][4][6][7] It serves lifestyle enthusiasts by offering short-form social videos, long-form series, streaming channels like Tastemade+, a recipe app with 12,000+ recipes, meal planning, and e-commerce for kitchen products, solving the need for engaging, accessible inspiration that turns viewers into "doers" in cooking, travel, and home improvement.[1][2][5][7] Founded in 2012 and acquired by Wonder Group—a food delivery and meal kit company—for $90 million in March 2025, Tastemade has raised $115.35M total and now integrates content creation with Wonder's restaurant brands, enabling seamless paths from viewing to delivery orders while expanding ad opportunities.[1][2][5]

Origin Story

Tastemade was founded in 2012 in Santa Monica, California, by Larry Fitzgibbon, Steven Kydd, and Joe Perez, who recognized the shift toward mobile and social video consumption for lifestyle content.[2][7] Starting with short cooking videos on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it quickly gained traction: by 2015, Apple added its channel to Apple TV, Fast Company named it one of the World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies, and it launched on Snapchat Discover, earning Webby nominations.[2] Pivotal moments included debuting Tastemade Travel streaming channel in 2016 on platforms like Samsung TV Plus, expanding to OTT with Amagi's cloud playout for 15+ distributors, and launching Tastemade+ subscription and Tastemade Cooking app in November 2024.[2][3] The March 2025 acquisition by Wonder marked its evolution into a content arm for a "super app for mealtime," blending media with commerce and delivery.[1][2][5]

Core Differentiators

• Data-Driven Programming and Multi-Platform Reach: Built on real data analytics, Tastemade delivers premium lifestyle videos optimized for mobile (over half of views), connected TVs, social media, and FAST channels, reaching 300M+ monthly viewers and 700M minutes watched via innovative tools like Amagi CLOUDPORT for efficient global distribution to 15+ platforms.[3][4][6][7]
• Award-Winning Content Ecosystem: Produces original shows with celebrities like Bobby Flay, Jose Andres, Andrew Zimmern, and Alison Roman, earning 65+ awards including three Emmys and James Beards; offers Tastemade+ ad-free streaming, 12,000+ recipe library app, meal plans, and cookbooks.[2][4][5]
• Commerce and Experience Integration: Post-acquisition, synergizes with Wonder's delivery for "watch-to-order" (e.g., Tastemade shows featuring Wonder meals), plus e-commerce and advertiser access across media, restaurants, Grubhub, and Blue Apron.[5]
• Tech Stack and Scalability: Leverages Snowplow, Fullstory, AWS for analytics and operations; simple UI tools reduced training time, enabling rapid international expansion to Brazil, Canada, Germany, and Australia.[3][4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Tastemade rides the explosion of FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) and connected TV adoption, capitalizing on cord-cutting trends where audiences favor short-form, mobile-first lifestyle content over traditional TV—over half its views occur on mobiles and CTVs.[2][3][7] Timing aligns with post-pandemic demand for "real-life storytelling" in food, travel, and home, amplified by social algorithms and OTT growth, positioning it as an early FAST adopter with broadcast-grade experiences via cloud tech.[3] In the ecosystem, its Wonder integration influences food tech by bridging content, e-commerce, and delivery—exemplified by potential shows around Wonder's 90+ locations and chefs—creating a media-delivery flywheel that boosts discovery for meal kits and apps like Grubhub, while offering brands cross-vertical ads in a fragmented market.[5]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Tastemade's acquisition supercharges its trajectory, evolving from standalone media to a content engine for Wonder's mealtime empire, with new shows tying videos directly to deliveries and expanded advertising. Upcoming trends like AI recipe personalization, global FAST proliferation, and super-app consolidation will shape it, potentially growing its 160M social followers and 13M streamers via app enhancements and international channels.[2][5] Its influence may expand as a model for media-foodtech convergence, turning passive viewers into loyal customers—reinforcing its core mission to inspire everyday action in a streaming-dominated world.[7]