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Ready, Set, Food! is a technology company.
Ready, Set, Food! develops and provides a comprehensive early allergen introduction system designed to help prevent childhood food allergies. The company offers patented Mix-Ins and allergen-inclusive baby foods, such as organic oatmeal, that facilitate the safe and consistent introduction of common allergens like peanut, egg, and milk to infants. These products are formulated with organic ingredients and undergo rigorous third-party testing, aligning with evidence-based medical guidelines.
The company's origin traces back to 2017 when Dr. Andrew Leitner, a board-certified physician, observed his son's severe food allergies. This personal experience inspired Dr. Leitner and his brother-in-law, serial entrepreneur Daniel Zakowski, to conceive of an accessible solution. In 2018, they partnered with Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, a board-certified pediatric and adult allergist, to translate this insight into a viable product and launch the company.
Ready, Set, Food! serves parents seeking to follow medical recommendations for early allergen exposure in their babies. The company’s vision centers on fostering healthier futures for children by making allergen introduction convenient and effective, ultimately striving to reduce the prevalence of childhood food allergies and broaden dietary freedom for younger generations.
Ready, Set, Food! has raised $12.0M across 4 funding rounds.
Ready, Set, Food! has raised $12.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Ready, Set, Food! has raised $12.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Ready, Set, Food!'s investors include Melissa Cohen, Mark Cuban, AccelFoods, Holly Jackson, AllerFund, Female Founders Fund, Greycroft, IVP, Javelin Venture Partners, Jazz Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins, M13.
Ready. Set. Food! is a consumer health technology company that develops an evidence-based, three-stage system of organic baby foods and mix-ins to enable early and sustained introduction of top food allergens like peanut, egg, and milk, reducing allergy risk by up to 80%.[1][3][5] It serves busy parents of infants as young as 4 months, solving the challenges of consistent allergen exposure amid medical guidelines, picky eating, and daily feeding routines.[1][2][4] The company has shown strong growth momentum since its 2018 launch, raising $6.5M total funding including a $3M round post-Shark Tank in 2020, expanding to nationwide retail like Target and Walmart, and partnering with health systems like Memorial Hermann to reach low-income families.[2][3][6]
Ready. Set. Food! emerged in 2017 from the personal struggles of its founders: parents and physicians Dr. Andrew Leitner (whose son developed life-threatening peanut allergies), Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan (a board-certified allergist who found independent allergen introduction difficult), and Daniel Zakowski (motivated by his own son's allergies).[1][2][4] Inspired by clinical evidence showing early introduction prevents allergies, they teamed up with pediatricians, allergists, and food scientists to create a complete system after trial and error, launching Stage 1 and 2 mix-ins in 2018 with a patent filing, initial hires, and e-commerce sales.[1][2]
A soft launch leveraged 300 California pediatricians for promotion, generating $250K in year-to-date revenue by Shark Tank in 2020, where average customer lifetime value hit $150 over 4.5 months.[2] Pivotal moments included Mark Cuban's investment, facility expansions cutting costs by 76%, and product line growth into allergen-inclusive organic baby foods like oatmeal.[2][4][5]
Ready. Set. Food! rides the wave of preventive pediatric health tech, capitalizing on 23 clinical trials (13,000+ participants) proving early allergen introduction slashes food allergy rates amid rising U.S. prevalence.[1][6] Timing aligns with post-2017 guideline shifts from allergy avoidance to proactive exposure, amplified by Shark Tank visibility and investor interest in consumer health post-pandemic.[2][4] Favorable market forces include parental demand for science-backed baby nutrition, retail expansion, and health system integrations that normalize allergen-forward feeding. The company influences the ecosystem by empowering physicians as advocates, donating products, and advancing research—shifting baby food from generic to targeted, allergy-preventive innovation.[4][6]
Ready. Set. Food! is poised for further retail penetration, subscription scaling, and clinical expansions like its Memorial Hermann eczema study, potentially unlocking new products for broader allergens or demographics.[6] Trends in personalized pediatric nutrition, AI-driven health apps, and insurer-backed prevention will propel it, evolving its role from niche startup to ecosystem leader in allergy-free futures—echoing its mission to liberate babies from food allergy limits through accessible, doctor-trusted tools.[1][3]
Ready, Set, Food! has raised $12.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Seed in June 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2021 | $4.0M Seed | Melissa Cohen | Mark Cuban, AccelFoods, Holly Jackson |
| Jul 20, 2020 | $3.0M Other Equity | Mark Cuban | AccelFoods |
| Jul 1, 2020 | $3.0M Seed | ||
| Jul 1, 2019 | $2.0M Seed | AllerFund, Female Founders Fund, Greycroft, IVP, Javelin Venture Partners, Jazz Venture Partners, Kleiner Perkins, M13, Owl Ventures, Thirty Five Ventures, Adrian Aoun, Andre Iguodala, Gunnar Lovelace, Kevin Lin, Marc Benioff, Nick Green, Nicolas Berggruen, Steve Chen, Yash Sandesara, Adam Miller, David Rogier, John Burry, Amanda Schutzbank, PLG Ventures |