Nino’s $1.6M raise & whats next
5x in 2022
2021 was a crazy year for us at Nino Foods. We went from 20 employees to 120. 1,500 monthly orders to 16,000. We got into YC and raised our seed round of $1.6M from people who inspire us. Our YC application video is quite funny to watch in hindsight. (Shout out to Plate & Pint for letting us use their restaurant as our office for a year)
Along with the highs, the nature of our problems also changed. A year ago Pranav and I would worry about equipment breakdowns, kitchen problems, and other operational issues. Not a single weekend went by where we had peace of mind. Now, we worry about hiring the right folks quickly while maintaining the high standards of performance. We have to hire and train >60 people across functions and cities in 1 month. We've made some errors in hiring in the past but we’re better at it now. The people that thrive at Nino are those who are self-motivated, resourceful, and have the aggression to get stuff done.
We’re assembling our core leadership team to help us 5x in 2022. We’re hiring across functions — Head of Marketing, Head of Operations, Platform manager and more. We’re building the ‘A’ team to help us create a category defining company. We want people to proudly tell their kids one day- “I was employee number 10 at Nino”. People with the audacity and ambition to dream really big and the ability to execute toward intimidating goals are our favourite.
We’re a team of young (Avg. age~30) and energetic individuals with a burning desire to have an outsized impact on the world. Everyone that joins us will meaningfully impact the direction of the company. We’re looking to hire people smarter than us, give them tons of responsibility and autonomy, and remove any obstacles that may stop them from doing their best work. As founders, Pranav and I focus on 3 things- Making sure there is $ in the Bank, Hiring the smartest minds, and setting a clear vision for the company.
2022 is the year we launch new cities, new brands and new formats. We’re live in Delhi! and we’re setting up multiple locations across the city to make sure we reach every corner. We’re experimenting with technology that can help us de-skill the quality check process and also shorten feedback loops with customers-this is difficult but especially important in the delivery format. Our most requested feature is creating a curated service with benefits for power users (Top 10% of customers in terms of order frequency). We’re working on some pretty cool benefits we think our customers will love. Meanwhile check out our Pizza PJ’s.
We’re constantly thinking of ways to increase customer delight. If you think you can help us on that mission we’d love to talk to you. We also love out-of-the-box crazy suggestions for partnerships. Whether you're an artist, musician , run a clothing brand or something else — if you like our food and our vibe please reach out to us with details on what you’d like to partner on and why.
To fellow f&b entrepreneurs:
After running Nino for just 1.5 years we know the food business is tough and mentally draining. If you’re a fellow f&b entrepreneur reading this and want some peace of mind and to spend more time with family, lets chat. We’re eager to acquire delivery-only brands which have a great product and proof of customer love. Such transactions typically turn into relationships, and we deeply understand the importance of trust and what it takes to build upon someone else's foundation. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us on the emails below - we love learning about others peoples’ journeys.
As co-founders, Pranav and I are very fortunate & grateful for the trust our investors and employees put in us. Their conviction adds fuel to our fire.
A piece of advice we got from YC during the batch which has impacted me significantly- “Become the 007 version of yourself”. We want to create an environment where people can be the best version of themselves and do their best work.
Best,
Nish and Nonz
Reach us on nishant@eatnino.com & pranav@eatnino.com
