Fresco has raised EUR 15 million in a Series C funding round to accelerate the build-out of its cross-brand smart kitchen platform and deepen partnerships with appliance manufacturers.
The round was backed by new investors Samuel Dennigan, Barry Napier and Tyler Hu, alongside participation from Middleby, ACT Venture Capital, AE Ventures, Morpheus Ventures and Alsop Louie Partners, according to a deal announcement reported by FinSMEs.
A clear signal: software is becoming the appliance battleground
Fresco’s funding lands in the middle of a broad shift in the home appliance industry: differentiation is moving from hardware features to software-led experiences. Appliance makers have spent years competing on physical specs and industrial design, but connected kitchens are forcing a new competitive dynamic where the operating layer, data and user experience define loyalty.
Fresco is positioning itself as that operating layer. The company’s platform centres on KitchenOS, an all-in-one operating system designed for appliance manufacturers to deliver connected cooking experiences across the appliance lifecycle. Rather than building yet another single-brand app, Fresco’s proposition is to enable personalised, cross-brand cooking journeys, with an emphasis on making connected functionality scalable for OEMs.
This is not a niche bet. The global smart kitchen appliances market is projected to reach around USD 60 billion by 2030, creating a sizeable runway for platforms that can help manufacturers capture value beyond the initial appliance sale.
Why OEMs are looking for a platform layer
Fresco’s platform connects appliances across multiple brands, including Panasonic, Bosch, GE Appliances and LG, placing it squarely in the connected home and IoT ecosystem. The pitch is straightforward: many appliance manufacturers remain hardware-centric organisations, and building robust software, cloud infrastructure and AI-driven user experiences is a capability gap.
Fresco aims to close that gap through:
- KitchenOS, which supports connected cooking features and OEM-scale deployment
- An AI Cooking Companion layer for more personalised guidance and control
- Cross-brand interoperability that reduces fragmentation for consumers
In practical terms, the platform approach creates leverage for appliance makers: faster time-to-market for connected features, fewer parallel software builds across product lines, and a path to ongoing engagement after purchase.
What the EUR 15m is for
Fresco said the funding will support scaling KitchenOS and AI tooling through OEM partnerships, with a focus on accelerating its AI Cooking Companion and expanding global partnerships.
The use of proceeds points to an execution-heavy next phase. Moving from “platform promise” to “platform standard” in appliances requires long integration cycles, robust security and reliability, and strong commercial alignment with OEM roadmaps. The winners will be those that can deliver measurable outcomes for manufacturers, such as higher attach rates for digital services, lower support costs, and improved product engagement.
Competitive reality: platform economics with platform risks
The opportunity is substantial, but platform plays in connected home markets come with two structural challenges.
First, OEM dependency is real. Revenue scale typically follows signed partnerships, integration depth and rollout velocity. Fresco’s strategy, by design, ties growth to the pace at which manufacturers prioritise software transformation.
Second, interoperability is both a differentiator and a burden. Supporting multiple brands and appliance categories raises complexity in device compatibility, data standards and user experience consistency. Success depends on engineering discipline and partnership management, not just product vision.
That said, the presence of both new and follow-on investors in the Series C underscores continued conviction in Fresco’s positioning as a provider of personalised, cross-brand cooking experiences.
Outlook
Fresco’s Series C reinforces a market signal: smart kitchen value is shifting toward software platforms that help OEMs compete on experience, not just appliances. If Fresco can translate its cross-brand footprint into deeper OEM standardisation, it will be well placed to capture the next wave of connected cooking adoption as the market scales toward the end of the decade.