Santiago Merea

Santiago Merea is an entrepreneur and business leader with a focus on innovative food and technology solutions. Here are some key details about his background and career:

Professional Experience

Santiago Merea is the co-founder and former CEO of Raised Real, a startup that provided organically sourced, fresh baby food delivered directly to parents.13 Raised Real was later acquired by Once Upon a Farm.

Prior to Raised Real, Merea was the CEO of Orange Chef, a company that developed smart kitchen products. Orange Chef was acquired by Yummly in 2016.1

Entrepreneurial Journey

Merea has consistently worked to reimagine approaches to cooking and food preparation. Some of his notable ventures include:

• Chef Sleeve: His first product, a simple plastic protector for iPads used in the kitchen.2
• Orange Chef: One of the first IoT companies in the kitchen space, known for products like the Prep Pad, a Bluetooth food scale providing nutritional information.2
• Raised Real: Founded in 2018, the company aimed to reduce parenting stress by providing ready-to-serve organic baby and toddler meal kits.13

Personal Background

• Originally from Argentina, Merea immigrated to the United States.12
• He is a father of twin boys, which partly inspired the creation of Raised Real.2
• Merea holds a Master's degree in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science in Economics.4

Achievements

Under Merea's leadership, Raised Real experienced significant growth:

• Served over 500,000 meals nationwide in its first year.2
• Secured $7.3 million in funding.1
• Achieved high customer retention rates, with 80% retention after the initial box and 90% after the second box.1

Santiago Merea's career demonstrates a consistent focus on innovating in the food and technology sectors, with a particular emphasis on nutrition and convenience for families.