Failed 2018

    Maple

    Even celebrity chef David Chang couldn't make upscale prepared meal delivery profitable.

    Founded → Closed

    2014 → 2018

    Funding Raised

    $29M

    Industry

    Food Delivery

    Country

    USA

    IdeaProof AI Failure Score

    58/100
    Market Fit RiskBurn Rate RiskFounder Risk
    Market Fit Risk
    50
    Burn Rate Risk
    75
    Founder Risk
    15

    Full Analysis

    Maple delivered chef-prepared meals in Manhattan with backing from Momofuku founder David Chang. Meals were $12 and highly rated, but the cost of preparation, delivery, and maintaining commercial kitchens exceeded revenue. Deliveroo acquired Maple's assets in 2018 for a fraction of its funding.

    Could This Failure Have Been Prevented?

    IdeaProof's AI validates market demand, competitive positioning, and business model viability in minutes — catching the exact issues that sank Maple.

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