Only Cookery Raises €100K Pre-seed Investment Round from Think Bigger Capital

Only Cookery is a digital content creation platform that helps talented amateur cooks and professional/independent chefs from all over the world to make a meaningful income with their cooking skills, increasing their kitchen profit. Alessandro and Josh understand that it’s time for culinary professionals to explore new opportunities in the food arena without necessarily having to start over within their skillset. It is because of this, that Demium’s Think Bigger Capital, always in the forefront of innovation, felt inclined to reward this startup with a pre-seed investment round worth €100K.

Q: Tell us about OnlyCookery

Only Cookery is a digital platform that supplies independent chefs and content creators with all the tools they need to create multiple revenue streams relative to their passion at one place. 

Users get direct access to a huge list of professional chef and amateur chef profiles who cook at home from all over the world to learn from them. They can explore the culinary world by diet, cuisine, courses, classes (digital or in-person) and many more. The world of gastronomy at the fingertips of each user. 

Q: Tell us a little bit about the founding team. How come you started in Demium and how has the incubation programme experience been so far? 

Josh - My professional background is in Sales - driving revenue and creating repeatable sales processes. In my spare time I’ve been building e-commerce businesses from the ground up.

Alessandro - My professional background is in Industrial Engineering but my passion is cooking. I owned my own food business in Barcelona, so I already had some entrepreneurial experience before starting the Demium program which I joined  because I love creating and being able to see an idea come to fruition. 

We’re a great fit because Josh’s background in e-commerce and marketing combined with my background in the food business and social media gives our team a unique perspective on how to tackle the problem of growing paid communities around food. We deeply understand the problem and are super passionate about building the best platform possible to enable food content creators to thrive by defining their own future success.

Q: What was it like raising a round for the first time? 

In one word - thrilling. Primarily because it’s a massive step in the right direction for the shared dream we’ve worked so hard to make a reality. Nothing compares to the feeling of giving your all to something and actually achieving what you have set out to do in the first place. 

At the same time, we have to acknowledge that it’s also been an emotional rollercoaster getting to grips with everything that’s happened over the last 6-9 months. You definitely have to learn how to handle strong emotions and understand yourself in a much deeper level!

Q: What will you focus your initial funding on?

Further validation and product-market fit. We’ll do this by building our sales and marketing teams to drive sign-ups, and by developing a unique content machine to add value to our clients helping them grow their paying audience via our platform.

Q: What do you think investors value most about your startup? 

Our innovative approach to a rapidly growing space. We have a unique take on the market owing to our backgrounds and personalities. This allows us to build a unique platform with a powerful message.

I would also hazard a guess that they like us as a team, we’re extremely driven, honest and hard working. This shows what we’ve achieved so far with the platform and also the sales & marketing strategy.

Q: What advice would you offer other entrepreneurs looking for first-round funding? 

Trust the process and believe in yourself. Listen to your gut instinct, and be driven by curiosity and passion. Have one foot in your dreams and one foot firmly rooted in reality.

Q: What role did Demium play in this first investment round?

A conducive role. It's simple: we would not be where we are today without the advice, guidance and understanding that Demium has provided throughout this delicate stage.

First off, being surrounded by such talented people does something to you emotionally. You soak up the enthusiasm and feel the excitement for the future; this drives you forward and gives you the confidence you need to believe that you will make a difference.

In addition to this, you have these smart Demium minds around you to provide insights and offer advice. This can save you countless hours of wasted time as they guide you in the right direction, especially when you’re looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack as we were!