Sunbasket
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Meal kit delivery service |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Justine Kelly, Adam Zbar, Tyler MacNiven, George Nachtrieb |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | United States (multiple states including West Coast, East Coast, Midwest) |
Key people | Tyler Florence (board member) |
Number of employees | 400 |
| Parent | PSB Holdings |
| Website | sunbasket |
Sunbasket operates as a subscription-based meal delivery service that supplies fresh ingredients—often organic and sustainably sourced—accompanied by weekly recipes, empowering customers to prepare meals at home. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company maintains regional fulfillment centers in Morgan Hill, CA and Westampton, New Jersey. It competes within the meal kit sector.
History
Established in 2014 by San Francisco chef Justine Kelly, formerly Chef de Cuisine at Slanted Door, alongside tech entrepreneur Adam Zbar, Tyler MacNiven (user experience lead), and George Nachtrieb, Sunbasket combines culinary proficiency with technology-driven solutions. Celebrity chef Tyler Florence holds a position on its board of directors.
By May 2015, Sunbasket's service area encompassed eight states. In May 2016, it secured $11.62 million in Series A financing led by PivotNorth Capital and other investors, followed by a $15 million Series B round in July. That year marked expansion with an East Coast distribution hub and plans for a third center, scaling its workforce from 10 to 400 employees.
In February 2017, the company raised $15 million in Series C funding spearheaded by Sapphire Ventures; subsequently, in May, Unilever Ventures led a Series C-2 round to facilitate growth into the Midwest market alongside existing West and East Coast operations.
January 2018 saw Sunbasket obtain $57.9 million through Series D equity and debt financing aimed at accelerating expansion, including the launch of two additional distribution centers in the Midwest and East Coast. In March, it inaugurated a 190,000-square-foot facility in New Jersey. That year, Sunbasket collaborated with the American Diabetes Association to offer diabetes-friendly meal options and earned the American Heart Association's Heart-Check certification. A partnership with the American Cancer Society followed to develop health-focused meal selections.
In May 2019, Sunbasket completed a $30 million Series E funding round with continued backing from Unilever Ventures. By August, the company ceased operations at its St. Louis distribution center.
In December 2021, Sunbasket merged with keto supplement manufacturer Prüvit Ventures through an all-stock transaction under PSB Holdings, creating a combined entity valued at approximately $1.3 billion.
Service
Sunbasket caters to consumers with specific dietary requirements by providing paleo, gluten-free, and vegetarian meal choices. It stands out as one of the few meal kit companies certified USDA-Certified Organic. The majority of its ingredients are procured from farms located in California.
Sustainability
To tackle concerns related to packaging waste in meal kits, Sunbasket pursues zero-waste packaging initiatives. Its innovations include recyclable insulation liners crafted from PET fiber, ice packs composed of GMO cotton and water, and ingredient bags that are entirely compostable.
Controversy
In 2017, allegations surfaced claiming that some meals advertised as organic contained non-organic meats and produce. An anonymous complaint submitted through the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program asserted that only certain produce items were organic while none of the meat met organic certification standards—reflecting consumer critiques regarding misleading marketing.
In response, Sunbasket adjusted its promotional language by removing some organic assertions and adopting descriptions such as "organic and sustainable." However, the ESRP judged these changes insufficient to clearly communicate that not all produce was organic. Currently, when organic ingredients are unavailable, Sunbasket substitutes conventional alternatives while informing customers accordingly.