Atoms Founder Stories 001: Meet Nymble

The journey that led to Nymble began with a conversation between two childhood friends.

Fresh out of college, founders Raghav Gupta and Rohin Malhotra were clear that they wanted to use tech to address a problem with deep moats. Their definition of tech would not be restricted to just software or another app, but rather a tangible product they could build.

It was around this same time that Rohin’s mother handed him and his siblings the responsibility of each preparing two meals a week. While the new arrangement was less than successful, the two founders came away with an idea that the process could be automated.

As Raghav describes it:

 “When you cook on the stove top, and it could be any cuisine, you essentially use your hands to add the right ingredients in your pot or pan, in the right quantities at the right time - oil, onions, meat or spices, and saute / stir them as needed. You also use your eyes to measure things like change in color and texture, and your brain to make the right cooking decisions - increase heat, or move on to the next step.”

The pair began by building a robotic arm which would pick up food items, stir, and monitor cooking items - even peel and chop onions. The pair spent the better part of two years building a working prototype which could cook one meal well, and which they could serve to investors as an edible proof of concept. 

Through multiple iterations, the pair found themselves at a crossroads. They realized that retail consumers didn’t necessarily want a robotic arm to help them with their cooking. There were two potential courses of action next: adapt the prototype for commercial use, or identify a new solution for people to prepare freshly-cooked meals in the comfort of their own home. 

Raghav and Rohin opted for the latter: Building an autonomous kitchen device. This needed several fundamental questions answered at the conceptual stage: Whether the device would need pre-chopped ingredients versus chopping them itself; or if it would require a proprietary brand of spice mixes. 

They got to work. And their robotic arm evolved into a compact device which was affordable and easy to clean. Nymble can cook curated meals for users at the press of a button, all tailored to the individual users’ taste.

Nymble today has hundreds of customers using the device upwards of 12 times a week. Even more impressive, each customer in the program brings another, securing steady growth for the company with little to no spends on marketing.

Applications for Atoms’ Holi cohort are open! 

If you are a very early stage startup, we are waiting for you to apply. Atoms is meant for you.

Please note that we will be closing applications on March 15th, 2022. Applications arriving after this date will only be considered for the cohort after.