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Ome is reinventing the way we cook at home. Our mission is to preserve and enhance the spirit of our homes by leveraging smart technology to bring efficiency to the kitchen. Our flagship product is the first retro-fit smart device that can turn any stove into a smart appliance in minutes. Our Smart Knob allows homeowners to monitor and control their stoves from anywhere, anytime, using both our proprietary app and voice assistant integration. Through our ecosystem, we aim to build experiences that fundamentally reimagine the way we cook, consume content, and spend our time in the kitchen.
Imagine walking into Shark Tank with a barely-working prototype… and still walking out with an offer.
That’s exactly what happened to Akshita Iyer, CEO & Founder of Ome. On The Innovators Playbook, she opens up to host Seth Narayanan about:
- The chaos behind the scenes (including prototypes smoking)
- What it’s really like to pitch under pressure
- Why turning down an offer became one of the best decisions she ever made
This isn’t just about Shark Tank, it’s about resilience, storytelling, and the tough calls every founder faces.
If you’re building, pitching, or just love founder war stories, this episode is a must-listen.
Full episode here: https://lnkd.in/equbBdsr#SharkTank#Entrepreneurship#Innovation#StartupLife#FounderJourney#TheInnovatorsPlaybook#Leadership#Resilience
Creator of the Ome Smart Knob, Akshita Iyer discusses the future of technology in aging well, emphasizing the importance of predictive safety and integration of smart home devices.
Watch/Listen to this episode and others in their entirety where you get your podcasts:
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gb3tW9bC...
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gVwhTH9Q...
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/gXjTyvha
Please, support The Aging Well Podcast by hitting the ‘like’ button, subscribing/following the podcast, and sharing with a friend.
Meet Akshita Iyer, Founder and CEO at Ome, the world's first smart knob that can automatically control your stove. 🥘
Ome is reinventing cooking at home. With a mission to preserve and enhance the spirit of homes by leveraging smart technology to bring efficiency to the kitchen, their flagship product was created as a retrofit smart device that can turn any stove into a smart appliance in minutes. Through their ecosystem, they aim to build experiences that fundamentally reimagine how we cook, consume content, and spend time in the kitchen.
After completing her neuroscience degree at Duke University, Akshita began her entrepreneurial journey and passion for safe, smart technology following a personal experience with a kitchen fire. She joined our portfolio after participating in Techstars’ BSH Future Home Accelerator in 2019. She is currently serving as a Technical Committee Member at UL Standards & Engagement and, at Ome, leads a team dedicated to transforming kitchens worldwide for a safer and more connected future.
We’re proud to back founders like Akshita who are reinventing the way we cook at home.
Learn more about Ome: https://lnkd.in/eC9fAhm
Amazing time at Product Jam today!
Shout out to our panelists who got brutally honest about what it really takes to survive the early stages of a startup. Charles D'Andrea, Chris Hart, David Mancusi, Akshita Iyer, Lauren Goodell
Here’s a rapid-fire download of some of the best advice shared.
1. You don’t have a real business until someone pays for it. Stop chasing perfect. Start charging people, even if it feels too early. You’ll learn more from paying customers in a week than free users in a year.
2. AI has leveled the playing field. Your product isn’t the moat anymore, distribution is. VCs are no longer asking how defensible your tech is. They’re asking if you have the network and reach to move fast and scale.
3. Your first go-to-market plan is probably wrong. Test it fast. Fail faster. The real value comes from how quickly you can pivot and learn.
4. Don’t wait for the pivot to be obvious. Start making small directional adjustments constantly. Big pivots usually mean you ignored warning signs for too long.
5. Most of the “success stories” you see are glamorized. The real journey is ugly, messy, and full of hard decisions. Sometimes the bravest move is shutting it down and walking away before you waste your most valuable asset.. your time.
6. Raising capital right now is brutal. But good businesses still get funded. Just remember, not everyone will love your product. Find the people who do.
7. One co-founder is fine. Two is great. Three? Someone’s coasting. And if you’re a solo founder, it’s still possible, just make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who fill your gaps, even if they aren’t official co-founders.
8. AI tools are great for prototyping, but no one is trusting their $150M business to a black box just yet. Human judgment still wins where trust matters.
9. Founders who win today aren’t building perfect products. They’re building products that solve real, painful problems.. and they’re doing it faster than anyone else.
It was a killer conversation. Grateful to be in the room for it.
Onward & upward 🤘
Building and scaling a connected hardware company (or any startup really) is no small feat. ⚙️📦 Between manufacturing challenges, product iterations, and the constant push to go faster, it’s easy to stay focused on what’s next and forget to pause.
That’s why I’m especially grateful for this recent interview with Unite.AI. 🙏 Not just another interview — this was a chance to zoom out from the day-to-day and reflect on how far we’ve come at Ome and why we started in the first place.💡
As founders, we carry the weight of all that’s still ahead. But taking a moment to tell your story once in a while can be a powerful reminder of the journey, and the resilience it takes to keep going. 💪✨
To all fellow founders: if you're feeling stuck in the weeds or overwhelmed by the pace — know you're not alone. Sharing your story isn’t just for PR or visibility; sometimes it’s the clarity and perspective we didn’t know we needed.
🎙️ Big thanks to the Unite.AI team for the space to reflect.
🔗 Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/eCPAp5Ft#FounderLife#StartupJourney#Hardware#SmartHome#WomenInTech#Ome#IoT#KitchenSafety#GratitudeInTheGrind
Excited to share my latest guest article for IoT For All! 🙌
As homes get smarter, safety has to evolve with them. In this piece, I dive into how IoT can be a powerful tool for proactive home safety, especially in the kitchen — where the risks are high but often overlooked.
From aging-in-place to family wellness, we’re only beginning to unlock the full potential of connected technology to protect what matters most. 🏠💡
Grateful to contribute to this important conversation and spotlight the work we’re doing at Ome to bring thoughtful innovation to one of the most vital spaces in the home.
🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/d2ZP24tr#IoT#SmartHome#HomeSafety#AgingInPlace#KitchenSafety#Ome#IoTForAll
🎙️ It's been a minute, but super fun to sit down with Marlo Anderson at CES earlier this year for an interview on PLUGHITZ Live! We dove into the innovation behind the 🔥 Ome Smart Knob and how we’re working to make home safety more intuitive — especially in the kitchen, where it matters most. 🍳🏠
From protecting older adults and families 👨👩👧👦 to building a smarter, more connected future 🌐, Ome’s mission is personal and we're just getting started. 🚀
Huge thanks to the PLUGHITZ Live team for the thoughtful conversation and for spotlighting technology that makes a real impact. 🙏
🎥 Watch the full interview here: hhttps://lnkd.in/e43N5YFe#CES2025#SmartHome#KitchenSafety#OmeSmartKnob#AgingInPlace
A big thank you to Kitchen & Bath Business (KBB) for featuring me as a guest contributor! ✍✨
The smart kitchen is evolving beyond connectivity — it's becoming intelligent, intuitive, and proactive. In this article, I share key trends shaping the future of kitchen technology in 2025 and beyond, from AI-driven automation 🤖 to context-aware safety solutions 🔥.
With leading brands recalling millions of ranges due to safety concerns, it’s clear that kitchen intelligence isn’t just about convenience. It’s about protection and peace of mind 🏡💡.
Check out the full article below to see where the industry is headed and how technology like ours is setting new standards for safety and usability.
🔗 https://lnkd.in/e6UzPBkW
Industry pro Akshita Iyer, founder & CEO of Ome, offers her insights into the tech that will drive the development of the smart kitchen in the year ahead. AdobeStock/Andrey Popov
