MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPER: A CARY STARTUP DISHES OUT A STRATEGY TO MAKE MEAL PLANNING EASIER AND HEALTHIER.

• Author: Pressler, Alyssa
• Position: NC TREND: Tracking tech

Myxx Inc. founders Monica Wood and Dede Houston shared a dilemma common among busy working moms: How to plan and prepare healthy family meals without spending a lot of time or money.

The business partners became friends about seven years ago when both worked for a Triangle advertising-technology startup, with Wood in product management and Houston in marketing. When Wood took a new job that required a lot of travel, she found it was harder than ever to plan healthy meals for her kids.

"Dede is also a single mom, so I remember I asked her if [the reason] was just me and my travel," Wood says. They determined it wasn't, and in 2015, they began earnestly discussing plans for a business that would help solve the problem.

Myxx's online platform allows users to create shopping lists based on recipes they've found on the site, helping them plan meals in advance and buy less unnecessary food, Wood and Houston say.

With more grocery stores ramping up their online presence, the partners developed technology that works with stores' e-commerce sites to provide a real-time list of available products. Myxx derives much of its revenue by helping brands such as Kraft Foods, Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. and Perdue Farms create shoppable recipe programs incorporating their products, which are found on the site.

Shoppers create a free account and browse Myxx for recipes by meal, difficulty level or ingredients. The site then creates shopping lists that include specific aisles where you'll find items at your local store. If your store doesn't carry an ingredient, users are notified so they can adjust meals or find it elsewhere. Myxx provides per-serving costs for meals, estimated preparation times and real-time pricing for the ingredients. Users can update shopping lists to reflect items they already have in their home's pantry or fridge.

Myxx raised $400,000 from two investors in its...