Nomiku Net Worth: From Million-Dollar Momentum to a Startup Shutdown-What Really Happened?

At one point, Nomiku looked unstoppable. The company raised over a million dollars on Kickstarter, introduced home chefs to sous-vide cooking with sleek, user-friendly tech, and even landed a deal with venture capitalist Chris Sacca on Shark Tank. But just a few years later, Nomiku quietly shut down. Today, its net worth stands at zero.

So how does a startup go from the spotlight of Shark Tank and Samsung’s backing to shutting its doors? What really happened behind the scenes—and what can other entrepreneurs learn from Nomiku’s journey?

Nomiku 2025 Net Worth Update

As of 2025, Nomiku’s net worth is officially $0. The company ceased operations in December 2019. Despite its high-profile backing and early momentum, Nomiku never became profitable. In fact, it struggled to make a sustainable business model out of the high-cost hardware it was selling at little to no margin.

Across its lifetime, Nomiku generated an estimated $8 million in revenue. However, each sous vide unit cost nearly as much to make as it did to sell around $199, leaving the company with razor-thin margins, or none at all. Its meal kit service, introduced later in the company’s life, saw moderate growth, but it wasn’t enough to balance the mounting operational expenses from manufacturing, shipping, customer service, and product development.

While it secured significant backing from crowdfunding, private investors, and Samsung Ventures, Nomiku never found the financial stability needed to scale. There’s no evidence the company sold its assets or was acquired. It simply shut down making its net worth today a sobering $0.

The Humble Beginnings of a Big Idea

Nomiku started in 2012 as a DIY project between married couple Lisa and Abe Fetterman. Lisa had a culinary background, and Abe was a physicist. Together, they created a compact, consumer-friendly sous vide immersion circulator that brought restaurant-level cooking into the average home kitchen. The name “Nomiku” was inspired by the Japanese word nomikui, which means “eating and drinking.”

Their passion was authentic, and it resonated with a niche community of food lovers and tinkerers. That community support led to a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded all expectations, raising over $586,000 from backers who were eager to try the product.

Riding the Crowdfunding Wave

Nomiku’s initial Kickstarter success was only the beginning. In 2014, a second campaign brought in another $750,000. Together, the two campaigns attracted more than 7,400 backers and cemented Nomiku’s reputation as one of the most successful early food tech brands on the platform.

But like many hardware startups, Nomiku ran into trouble with fulfillment. The company initially manufactured in China but later moved production to San Francisco, which raised costs significantly. Many backers experienced delays, and quality control became a growing challenge.

A Shark Tank Dream Come True-Almost

In 2016, Nomiku appeared on Shark Tank, asking for $250,000 in exchange for 5% equity, a $5 million valuation. Investor Kevin O’Leary made an offer, but Lisa and Abe ultimately accepted a deal with Chris Sacca: $250,000 for 10% equity, valuing the company at $2.5 million. It was a proud moment and a sign that they were ready for bigger things. However, the deal with Sacca did not close, though the exposure still provided a significant boost in visibility, as noted in a Shark Tank recap.

But Shark Tank success doesn’t guarantee long-term viability. While the exposure helped raise awareness, Nomiku still needed to deliver on its product promises, improve user experience, and achieve profitability. Those turned out to be steep hills to climb.

When Innovation Got Too Complicated

Over the years, Nomiku continued to evolve its product line. It introduced a WiFi-connected sous vide device, and later, a futuristic RFID model that paired with a mobile app called Tender. In theory, this allowed users to scan prepackaged meals and have the device auto-cook them to perfection.

In practice, it didn’t work as smoothly. Reviewers noted the app was buggy and the new hardware was bulkier than its competitors. Customers expected simplicity, but Nomiku was leaning into complexity. Instead of making cooking easier, it sometimes made things more frustrating.

The Competition Closed In

As Nomiku struggled with its tech, bigger players like Anova and Breville flooded the market. These companies had deeper pockets and more refined production lines. They could offer equally powerful devices at lower prices and still turn a profit.

Nomiku found itself stuck. It was producing high-end gear at a high cost, selling at break-even prices, and failing to keep up with quality expectations. Unlike software startups, hardware companies can’t iterate as easily and one design misstep can haunt you for years.

The Last Pivot: Nomiku Meals

In 2017, Nomiku made one last attempt to save the business. They launched a meal kit service Nomiku Meals delivering pre-cooked, vacuum-sealed food packets that could be scanned and dropped into the sous vide. It was an ambitious shift toward recurring revenue and vertical integration.

Samsung Ventures believed in the idea and made a significant investment. The meal service even saw revenue double after launch. But scaling a food delivery business is expensive, and Nomiku didn’t have the cash reserves to go the distance. Despite the growth, it couldn’t generate enough capital to sustain operations long-term.

The Shutdown and Goodbye

On December 13, 2019, Nomiku officially closed its doors. There was no public acquisition, no sale of assets, just a heartfelt message to fans and customers. In an interview with The Spoon, Lisa explained the closure simply: “We just couldn’t get the company to a sustainable place.”

The end was quiet, but the disappointment was real. Backers, fans, and early adopters were left with feelings of respect for the founders and regret that such a promising idea didn’t survive.

Life After Nomiku: Where Are They Now?

After Nomiku shut down, its founders moved on. Abe Fetterman joined Imbue, an AI startup focused on building reasoning-based agents, and later worked with Sourceress. Lisa Fetterman shifted her energy toward writing and wellness. She published cookbooks, including *Sous Vide at Home and Sous Vide Made Simple, and began advocating for mental health and creativity in entrepreneurship.

Their story didn’t end with the business. Like many founders, they found new ways to apply what they’d learned, both the hard lessons and the big wins.

Lessons from Nomiku’s Rise and Fall

Nomiku’s journey is packed with insights for entrepreneurs. First, it shows how important it is to build a business model around profitability, not just popularity. Selling hardware at cost might win hearts, but it won’t pay the bills.

Second, simplicity wins. When Nomiku leaned into tech complexity, it alienated customers looking for ease. In contrast, competitors doubled down on user-friendliness and it paid off.

Third, timing matters. Nomiku’s pivot to meals came just as meal kit companies like Blue Apron were already struggling. Even with Samsung’s backing, the pivot came too late to be effective.

And finally, Shark Tank exposure can give a boost, but it’s not a magic bullet. You still need execution, product-market fit, and a path to sustainable growth.

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Final Thought: A Net Worth of Zero, a Legacy of Lessons

Nomiku may no longer exist, and its official net worth may sit at zero, but its story offers something worth far more. For every aspiring founder, hardware tinkerer, and Kickstarter dreamer, Nomiku’s rise and fall is a masterclass in the brutal realities of startup life.

Because in the end, even a business that disappears can leave behind wisdom that sticks around.

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