What Tovala does

Tovala is a Chicago-based food-tech company, founded in 2017, that operates a vertically integrated platform pairing a proprietary WiFi-connected countertop smart oven with a weekly subscription of chef-crafted fresh meals delivered to U.S. households in the 48 contiguous states. The hardware line consists of the Tovala Smart Oven (5-in-1, MSRP $299) and the Tovala Smart Oven Pro (6-in-1 with steam, MSRP $349), both of which use a built-in camera to scan QR/barcodes on Tovala meal packaging (and a library of 1,000+ name-brand grocery products such as Eggo, Amy's, Trader Joe's, and Pop-Tarts), retrieve chef-uploaded cook cycles from Tovala's cloud over 2.4 GHz WiFi, and execute them as automated multi-mode sequences combining bake, broil, steam, air fry, toast, and reheat. A companion iOS/Android app handles WiFi onboarding, weekly meal ordering, custom cook cycles, push notifications, and subscription management; the platform also supports remote cook-cycle blocking to prevent customers from cooking meals affected by a food-safety recall.

The company generates revenue from four streams: (i) weekly meal subscriptions priced from $8.99/serving for family/two-packs and starting at $13.99/meal otherwise, with 4–16 meal weekly plans, free skips, pause up to 8 weeks, $10.99 shipping per delivery, and 100-day risk-free oven trial; (ii) Smart Oven hardware sales, often steeply discounted ($69 standard / $119 Pro) when customers commit to 6 meal deliveries within 6 months, and also sold at MSRP through QVC and Costco; (iii) one-time gift cards redeemable for oven or meal credit; and (iv) Impact-powered affiliate/referral commissions with boosted tiers for top performers. Tovala serves a horizontal consumer base of busy individual professionals, families, students, seniors, and smart-appliance enthusiasts, with a 4.6-star rating across ~9,641 Yotpo reviews and cumulative deliveries approaching 50 million meals nationwide since 2017. Per a late-2025 CEO interview, Tovala has operated profitably for two consecutive years without additional fundraising after a 2022 capital constraint forced a profitability pivot.

The go-to-market is primarily D2C on tovala.com and the Tovala app, augmented by retail (QVC, Costco), an affiliate program (Impact), paid social/display retargeting, organic content/SEO, and a celebrity campaign (Jesse Tyler Ferguson); the company is currently scaling production by consolidating its two Chicago operations into a new 140,340 sq ft build-to-suit food processing facility in Winfield, Illinois (Brennan Investment Group lease; ARCO/Murray design-build), with construction beginning March 2026 and substantial completion targeted for Q2 2027.

Name

Tovala

Legal name

Tovala

Website

https://tovala.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tovala is a Chicago-based food-tech company that pairs a proprietary WiFi-connected countertop smart oven with a weekly subscription of chef-crafted fresh meals delivered to households across the 48 contiguous U.S. states, using scan-to-cook barcode technology to automate multi-mode cooking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart Meal Delivery

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepared Meal Subscriptions (Chef-Prepared, Recurring) (CRAHAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Restaurant Meal & Prepared Food Delivery (CRAFAFAB), Local Chef/Restaurant Meal Boxes & Marketplace Prepared Meals (CRAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Smart meal delivery
• Countertop smart oven
• Meal subscription service
• Chef-crafted meal kits
• Connected kitchen appliances

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fresh meal subscription (recurring): Weekly recurring meal plan subscription (4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 16 meals/week) starting at $13.99 per meal (or $8.99 per serving for Family Meals / Two-Packs), plus $10.99 shipping per delivery. Customers can skip, pause, or cancel anytime.
2. Smart oven hardware sales: Direct sale of Tovala Smart Oven (MSRP $299) and Tovala Smart Oven Pro (MSRP $349), often bundled at a steep discount ($69 standard / $119 Pro) when customers commit to 6 meal deliveries within 6 months. Also available via retail (QVC, Costco).
3. Gift cards: One-time gift card purchases redeemable toward either oven purchase or meal subscription balance; does not auto-enroll recipient in a subscription.
4. Affiliate / referral commissions (referral economics): Affiliate program via Impact with commission on every new customer referred, plus boosted commission tiers and bonus opportunities for high-volume referrers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Tovala sells a WiFi-connected countertop smart oven (5-in-1 standard or 6-in-1 Pro with steam) paired with a weekly chef-crafted fresh meal subscription. Each meal package carries a QR/barcode that the oven scans to retrieve a chef-uploaded cook cycle from Tovala's cloud, enabling one minute of prep and ~20 minutes of unattended cooking. The integrated hardware-plus-meal platform is supported by an iOS/Android app for ordering, customization, and cook notifications.

Product overview

Tovala offers an integrated hardware-plus-meal-service platform that combines proprietary countertop smart ovens with a chef-crafted meal subscription. The Tovala Smart Oven (5-in-1) and Tovala Smart Oven Pro (6-in-1) form the hardware core, differentiated by the Pro's added steam mode. These ovens work in tandem with the Tovala Meals subscription service (45+ weekly chef-crafted meals at $8.99+/serving) and its line extension Family Meals (4-serving meals introduced in April 2026) via scan-to-cook QR/barcode technology backed by cloud-delivered cook cycles. The Tovala App (iOS/Android) is the required companion that connects the oven to WiFi, manages orders, and provides cooking notifications, while Tovala Gift Cards extend the platform's reach as a one-time gifting option.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Family Meals: Tovala Family Meals — a Tovala product line launched in April 2026 offering four-adult-serving meals cooked in the Tovala Smart Oven with scan-to-cook technology, with a dedicated landing page at tovala.com/lp/familymeals.

Products and services

• Tovala Smart Oven (5-in-1) Countertop smart oven with five cooking modes (Bake, Broil, Toast, Air Fry, Reheat); MSRP $299 in Stone Gray. Features scan-to-cook barcode/QR recognition, WiFi connectivity to Tovala's cloud, and pairs with Tovala's chef-crafted meal subscription.
• Tovala Smart Oven Pro (6-in-1) Premium countertop smart oven with six cooking modes (Bake, Broil, Toast, Air Fry, Reheat, Steam); MSRP $349 in Charcoal Black. Adds professional-grade steam capability for juicier meats and better baked goods. Formerly known as the Gen 2 Tovala Smart Oven.
• Tovala Meals (subscription) Weekly chef-crafted fresh meal subscription delivering 45+ menu options per week. Meals are designed to cook perfectly in the Tovala Smart Oven with one minute of prep and a single QR code scan. Pricing starts at $8.99 per serving with plans ranging from 4 to 16 meals per week; ships to all 48 contiguous U.S. states.
• Tovala Family Meals Family-sized meal offering that serves four adults in approximately 25 minutes with under five minutes of prep, cooked using Tovala's existing scan-to-cook smart oven with no additional hardware required. Launched April 2026 to expand the platform beyond single-serve and two-serving options; pricing starts at $8.99 per serving.
• Tovala App Companion mobile app for iOS and Android required to connect the Tovala Smart Oven to 2.4 GHz WiFi, customize and order weekly meals, receive cooking notifications, create and save custom cook cycles, and access the library of chef's recipes and scannable groceries.
• Tovala Gift Cards One-time-purchase gift cards redeemable toward a Tovala Smart Oven and/or the meal subscription balance; does not auto-enroll the recipient in a recurring subscription.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45 million meals delivered nationwide since 2017 founding (approaching 50 million as of mid-2026)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• ARCO/MurraycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 27 April 2026Design-build contractor delivering Brennan Investment Group's 140,340 sq ft Winfield, Illinois build-to-suit food processing facility for Tovala. Construction underway with completion targeted for 2027.
• La Terra FinaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026La Terra Fina's personal-size quiches added to the Tovala menu starting spring 2026. Collaboration targeting occasions like Easter and Mother's Day brunch, with effortless prep in the Tovala Smart Oven. Comments from Tovala's Chhaya Bhatia and La Terra Fina's Brett Swensen cited.
• Brennan Investment GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2026Long-term build-to-suit lease with Chicago-based Brennan Investment Group for a new 140,340-square-foot food processing facility in Winfield, Illinois. Construction began March 2026; substantial completion expected Q2 2027. Consolidates two existing Chicago locations into a single larger hub.
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Emmy-nominated actor)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 January 2025Celebrity partnership to 'Ditch the Dinner Drama' and promote Tovala to modern families. Ferguson served as a brand spokesperson/campaign face in PR Newswire and Perishable News coverage.
• CostcocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTovala Smart Oven retailed at Costco, driving additional awareness and acquisition; oven buyers then subscribe to meals via the Tovala app.
• QVCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTovala Smart Oven retailed via QVC; oven buyers become meal-subscription customers.
• Impact (affiliate network)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts Tovala's affiliate program with commission per new customer and boosted commission tiers for high-volume referrers.
• June Life Inc.minorOthersCo-mentioned in smart kitchen appliances category alongside June Smart Oven, Samsung Bespoke AI Oven, and Tovala Smart Oven; competitive peer rather than active partnership.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• HelloFresh: Global meal-kit leader with multiple US brands (HelloFresh, EveryPlate, Green Chef). Directly comparable to Tovala's meal-subscription arm but operates at vastly greater scale and without proprietary hardware.
• Breville: Established premium small-appliance maker (toaster ovens, air fryers, microwaves) with strong retail distribution. Broad incumbent that competes with Tovala's Smart Oven on countertop real estate but does not bundle a meal subscription.

Direct peers

• Factor (formerly Factor 75): Ready-to-eat heat-and-eat meal subscription owned by HelloFresh. Comparable to Tovala on prepared-meal convenience, microwave/oven-ready format, and weekly subscription mechanics, but without Tovala's scan-to-cook hardware integration.
• Sun Basket: Subscription meal-kit service with healthy and organic positioning and weekly chef-designed menus. Closely comparable to Tovala on premium, health-forward fresh-meal positioning and flexible weekly plans.
• Blue Apron: US meal-kit subscription pioneer offering weekly chef-designed recipes with fresh ingredients. Closest pure-play competitor to Tovala's meal-subscription model, differing only in that Blue Apron relies on customers' existing kitchens rather than a proprietary oven.
• Brava: Maker of the Brava smart oven, a connected countertop oven using pure light-based cooking with guided recipes via app. Directly comparable on WiFi-connected, scan/guided-cooking countertop hardware competing for the same premium connected-kitchen buyer as Tovala.
• Freshly: Nestlé-owned prepared meal subscription delivering ready-to-heat chef-crafted meals weekly. Directly comparable to Tovala on fresh, heat-and-eat positioning and recurring weekly plans targeting time-pressed consumers.
• Home Chef (Kroger): Kroger-owned meal-kit and heat-and-eat brand sold in-store and via subscription. Comparable weekly fresh-meal subscription model with retail distribution, competing for the same time-pressed US household as Tovala.
• June Life: Maker of the June Smart Oven, a premium connected countertop oven with onboard camera and recipe recognition. Most direct smart-oven hardware competitor to Tovala, listed alongside it in industry coverage of the connected-kitchen category.

Emerging players

• Anova Culinary (sous vide / smart appliances): Connected cooking brand (sous vide, combusters) with app-guided recipes. Adjacent connected-kitchen appliance competitor with overlapping target consumer (tech-forward home cook) but no proprietary meal subscription.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tovalafood
• Xx.com/tovalafood
• Facebookfacebook.com/tovalafood

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors21 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tovala