Soon, your oven will connect to your grocery list
A software company that connects large kitchen appliances bought the ShopWell, a free grocery shopping app that aims to help you eat more healthfully.
A software company that wants to connect all your large kitchen appliances will now have a hand in how you shop for groceries. Innit has acquired ShopWell, a free grocery-shopping app, for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced today.
Innit's software works with existing technology inside smart-kitchen appliances, such as cameras in refrigerators , to see what food you have on hand, suggest recipes, and tell you how to cook them, among other tasks. The company's ultimate goal is to connect all of your smart, large kitchen appliances so they can talk to one another and make it easier for you to cook. The concept got the attention of appliance giant Whirlpool, which announced last year that it will include Innit's software in its Jenn-Air line of wall ovens . The companies have since completed a trial run but have shelved plans for a specific product rollout for 2017 (Innit says it's shifted its strategy to opening the platform to more manufacturers).
Innit is still in discussions with Whirlpool/JennAir, but the specific rollout plans for 2017 are TBD. The strategy has shifted a bit so Innit is now opening its platform to multiple appliance partners instead of exclusively working with Whirlpool.
With the ShopWell acquisition, Innit will eventually be able to get insight into what groceries you pick up at the store to learn more about you and your shopping habits. In short, those suggested recipes will get even more personalized.
It will be a while before we see this shopping-to-cooking connection in action. For now, the ShopWell app (available on Android and iOS ) will continue to run as-is. You can upload your receipts to the app to receive shopping suggestions based on your dietary needs or health goals. The app can also use your location to direct you to specific foods in your grocery store.
The Innit/ShopWell integration will "help people across the entire food journey for planning to shopping to preparing," said Kevin Brown, co-founder and CEO of Innit.
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