n SEED ROUND: MEET THE FOUNDER
AKSHAY PRABHU
FOODNOME
For Akshay Prabhu, nothing ties a meal together like community. His
Davis-based startup, Foodnome, reflects that philosophy, effectively turning
regular homes into restaurants the way Uber turned regular cars into taxis.
“People have a deep connection with food,” says Prabhu, who studied
neuroscience at UC Davis. “Rather than driving for Uber or hosting for Airbnb,
you’re starting your own home restaurant.”
After battling legal blocks with California food laws and Yolo County’s En-
vironmental Health Division, Foodnome launched in April and has about 50
home cooks in its local network, with plans to soon expand throughout Califor-
nia and, eventually, into other states with food freedom laws. Registered cooks
prepare what they choose, then post their menus and hours on the Foodnome
app, Prabhu says. Hungry patrons sign up and show up to feast on homemade
meals, which could include diet-specific options.
Commonskillet
My backup name for the startup was.. ..........................................................
neurosurgeon
If I could have any other job, I’d be a......................................................
The book that best represents my approach to business would be...............
“The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss
.....................................................................................................
not being scared
My biggest fear about launching was ...............................................
enough
....................................................................................................
If I could give my younger self one word of advice, that word would be........
empathy
.. ........................................................................................................
CAN ANYBODY BECOME A HOME COOK WITH FOODNOME? “If you want to be a
home restaurant, you can apply to be a cook on Foodnome. A health
inspector will be sent to your house to assess basic criteria: good ven-
tilation, no pets or carpet in the kitchen, hot water. Once you pass, you
get liability insurance and you’re good to go.”
WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL OF THIS BUSINESS? “We’re trying to create a sociopo-
litical movement to show people how this will be beneficial to communi-
ties. It’s also an economic opportunity for home cooks. We’re reducing
the barrier of entry to the industry, so they don’t have to take out a loan
or work in a commercial kitchen. I see it as the cannabis industry, a new
emerging market, where it’s important to get into the market early to
build our resources.”
For more on Foodnome, read Russell Nichols’ “Startup of the Month”
column at comstocksmag.com.
98
comstocksmag.com | June 2019