It’s a double-yolker for the Parisian food brand, Chefclub as the firm secures a new financing round of 14 million Euros and the creation of a new cookware line in partnership with the kitchen ware experts, Tefal.
It’s First Bridge Ventures chairman, Adrian Cheng, who leads the round the accelerate Chefclub’s international growth, along with SEB Alliance, Group SEB’s corporate venture arm, as well as existing investors Fleur Pellerin’s Korelya Capital and Groupe Arnault’s Aglae Ventures to bring in the 14 million Euro funding round.
Launched in Paris in 2016 by three brothers, Thomas, Jonathan, and Axel Lang, Chefclub has been able to leverage the power of social media to continually grow, strengthen its brand, and create a large audience while also transforming its video viewers into customers.
Its recipe videos and fun universe are designed to encourage everyone to cook: women, men, teenagers, and children.
Convinced that the future of business lies in experiential content and direct contact with communities, the startup has already sold 700,000 self-published books since 2017, and in 2019 launched a series of innovative products for children that has equipped more than 150,000 families.
The free distribution of content has helped Chefclub form a committed community that the startup can directly involve in the development of its products. All Chefclub products are created based on the requests, tastes, and opinions shared by the community throughout the product development process.
Meanwhile, as viewers’ attention shifts from television to social networks, Chefclub continues to promote its universe and products through online videos of inspiring and fun recipes seen all around the world. In December 2020 alone, 50 million Americans and more than 15 million French people watched one or more Chefclub recipes.
In addition to direct sales, the brand is developing its retail presence to allow members of its community to find Chefclub products in their favorite stores. In return, retailers carrying Chefclub products will benefit from the extensive coverage on social media platforms, allowing them to draw in customers who prefer not to order online.
Topping off the good news for Chefclub this week, and the cooking brand has also detailed a new partnership with Groupe SEB for the launch of a range of products under the brand name Chefclub by Tefal.
The new collection will include skillets, saucepans, kitchen tools, and small domestic appliances. Created in collaboration with the Chefclub community, the range combines Chefclub’s expertise in the development of creative recipes with Tefal’s sustainable design.
The new range will be launched in France and across international markets including Germany, Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Canada, Spain, the UK, and Mexico.
The new brand Chefclub by Tefal benefits from unprecedented visibility on social networks and will broaden Groupe SEB’s reach, particularly with Millennials, who are discovering or rediscovering the joys of cooking thanks to the start-up’s content.
By joining forces with Groupe SEB, world reference for small domestic appliances, Chefclub has access to recognized industrial expertise, the renown of the Tefal brand and a broader retail network which will enable its community to discover its products via the Group’s retail channels.
