COLUMBIA, MD (December 21, 2015) – The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) announced today that Kitchology is selected as the winner for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 2016 InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Challenge. InnovateHER provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs nationwide to compete for $70,000 in cash prizes by showcasing products and services that have a measurable impact on the lives of women and families, have the potential for commercialization, and fill a need in the marketplace.
Kitchology is an advanced digital platform that applies machine learning to nutrition science, profiling and social curation to help the home cook match and modify recipes to satisfy the challenges of food allergies, intolerances and special diets. When food is wellness, choosing what to eat affects families, friends, brands and suppliers. Kitchology enables meal planning based on ingredients previously used and explored, personalized, ingredient substitutions, purchasing with intelligent shopping lists, step-by-step cooking, and fosters influencer relationships along with connections.
“In my family, our food allergies leaves us at a disadvantage with limited meal eating planning and purchasing options,” said Iris Sherman, co-founder and president of Kitchology. “The lack of trusted information only further exacerbates the problem. Through the power of technology and community Kitchology effectively addresses the frustration and solves the pain points for people like us living with special diets.”
A team consisting of TEDCO staff, members of TEDCO’s Woman-led Start-up Executive Roundtable, and members of TEDCO’s Loaned Executive pool reviewed over 20 applications and selected Kitchology as the winner, whose full business plan will be advanced on to the semi-final round of the InnovateHER Challenge. SBA will administer the semi-final round and will select up to 10 Finalists who will then compete for $70,000 in cash prizes provided by Microsoft. Final round will be held in the Washington, D.C. metro area during Women’s History month on March 17, 2016.