>Tec Tom: I added a link.

2021-02-10T13:41:06Z

I added a link.

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{{Infobox dot-com company
| name = Cucumbertown
| logo = Cucumbertown logo.png
| company_type = Defunct
| location = Palo Alto, California; <br> [[Bangalore]], India.
| locations = 2
| founder = Cherian Thomas,<br> Chris Luscher,<br> Arun Prabhakar,<br> Dan Hauk
| CEO = Cherian Thomas
| industry = Internet, Web Application
| url = {{URL|cucumbertown.com}}
| website_type = Food Blogging Platform
| launch_date = {{Start date|2012|10|17}}
| screenshot = File:Ct-screenshot.png
}}

'''Cucumbertown''' was a food blogging platform.<ref name=Vccookpad /><ref name=toi1>{{cite news|title=Recipe to bring cooks and foodies together|url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG%2F2013%2F10%2F29&PageLabel=26&EntityId=Ar02601&ViewMode=HTML|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=Oct 29, 2013|author=B Pradeep Nair}}</ref><ref name=BMBlogger /><ref name=techcircle>{{cite web|title=Top angels-backed online recipe sharing platform Cucumbertown out of invitation-only mode|url=http://techcircle.vccircle.com/2012/11/23/top-angels-backed-online-recipe-sharing-platform-cucumbertown-out-of-invitation-only-mode/|publisher=techcircle.vccircle.com|author=Sainul K Abudheen|date=Nov 23, 2012}}</ref> Based out of [[Palo Alto, California]],<ref name=IndianBizParty>{{cite news|title=Online Recipe Sharing Startup Cucumbertown acquired by Tokyo Based Cookpad|url=http://indianbizparty.com/news/cucumbertown|publisher=IndianBizParty}}</ref> it was founded by Cherian Thomas,<ref name=TCentrepreneurs>{{cite web|date=Oct 19, 2013|title=The Key To Entrepreneurial Success In South Asia|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/10/19/founders-you-dont-need-to-be-like-silicon-valley/|publisher=[[Techcrunch]]|author=Shruti Challa}}</ref> Chris Luscher, Arun Prabhakar<ref name=thehindufood>{{cite news|title=Food makes the world go round|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/food-makes-the-world-go-round/article4098218.ece|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=Nov 15, 2012|author=Anasuya Menon}}</ref> and Dan Hauk.<ref name=TC-seed-and-launch>{{cite web|title=Cucumbertown Nabs $300K From FarmVille Co-Creator, AngelList’s Naval Ravikant To Build A Dribbble For Chefs & Recipes|publisher=[[Techcrunch]]|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/17/cucumber-seed-and-launch/|author=Rip Empson|date=Oct 17, 2012}}</ref> It was acquired by Japanese recipe network [[Cookpad]] in June 2015.<ref name="ETcookpad">{{cite news|author1=Pranbihanga Borpuzari|title=Japan's Cookpad acquires Cucumbertown in multi-million dollar deal|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/japans-cookpad-acquires-cucumbertown-in-multi-million-dollar-deal/articleshow/47685652.cms|publisher=The Economic Times}}</ref>

The platform shut down in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=It's curtains for Cucumbertown, leaving food bloggers in tears |url=https://archive.factordaily.com/cucumbertown-shuts-down-food-bloggers-tears/ |website=FactorDaily |date=20 October 2016}}</ref>

==Product==
Cucumbertown formerly allowed users to post and browse [[Recipe|recipes]]<ref name=PandoDaily1 /> in its web based platform. It claimed to have made it easy to write recipes in a more structured way, a style opposed to the normal way to publishing recipes through blogging platforms like [[WordPress]] or [[tumblr]] in blob formats. It also allowed users to write a variation on an existing recipe's page. The website was for some time a library of recipes written by food enthusiasts from different parts of the world, but no data is hosted at the site today.<ref name=thehindufood />

* ''Analytics Dashboard'': Through the dashboard, people were able to see their traffic report, blog ranking vis-a-vis other food blogs in the world and a breakdown of individual post performance.
* ''Recipe Writer'': A food blogging specific editor with inbuilt SEO parameters.
* ''Customised Recipe Search'': A recipe search feature within the platform that has filters for cooking time, cuisine, ease etc.

==Background and history==

Cucumbertown was co-founded by Ex-[[Zynga]] employee Cherian Thomas, Chris Luscher, a partner at Web development firm Information Architects, Arun Prabhakar, a software engineer, and Dan Hauk, [[Tumblr]] theme designer. Cherian Thomas, an engineer based in [[Bangalore]] was passionate about food and he kept recording his thoughts on cooking and publishing systematically. Thomas, once, e-mailed Chris Luscher, partner of Information Architects, one of the leading design firms in the world, based in [[Zurich]]. Chris Luscher shared his passion in cooking and agreed to partner with him. Thomas then brought on board Arun Prabhakar, his junior at [[Model Engineering College]], and Dan Hauk, a leading American designer.<ref name=thehindufood /> Cucumbertown is named after a mythical town, ''Vellarikka Pattanam'' (വെള്ളരിക്കാപ്പട്ടണം) in the [[Malayalam]] language.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mount Penn man can get to Cucumbertown from here|url=http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=422505|newspaper=[[Reading Eagle]]|date=Oct 23, 2012|author=Terry Scott Reed}}</ref> The most of the founders, a team of 4 people across 3 continents, never met face to face<ref name=BMBlogger>{{cite news|title=Chow on, Bloggers|url=http://www.bangaloremirror.com/columns/sunday-read/Chow-on-Bloggers/articleshow/22089329.cms|newspaper=[[Bangalore Mirror]]|date=Aug 24, 2013}}</ref><ref name=tccherian>{{cite web|title=For A Stranger In Silicon Valley, Success Isn’t Only About Who You Know|url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/01/stranger-in-the-valley/|publisher=[[Techcrunch]]}}</ref><ref name=dna>{{cite news|title=Cucumbertown opens a social network to food bloggers|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mobile/report.php?n=1754293&p=0|newspaper=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|date=Oct 20, 2012}}</ref> until the launch of the company. Dan Hauk left Cucumbertown in August 2013.

In 2012, Cucumbertown was angel funded to the extent of $300,000<ref name=entrepreneurindia>{{cite web|title=Cucumbertown aims to make recipes simpler|url=http://entrepreneurindia.in/thebuzz/specialreport/cucumbertown-aims-to-make-recipes-simpler/15854/|author=Pranbihanga Borpuzari|date=Oct 19, 2012|publisher=entrepreneurindia.in|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102074919/http://entrepreneurindia.in/thebuzz/specialreport/cucumbertown-aims-to-make-recipes-simpler/15854/|archive-date=2013-11-02}}</ref> by investors such as [[Naval Ravikant]] of [[AngelList]], Paul Singh of [[500 Startups]],{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} [[FarmVille|Farmville]] co-creator Sizhao Zao Yang,<ref name=PandoDaily1>{{cite web|title=With a little help from AngelList, Cucumbertown bakes a new recipe platform|url=http://pandodaily.com/2012/10/17/with-a-little-help-from-angellist-cucumbertown-bakes-a-new-recipe-platform/|publisher=[[PandoDaily]]|author=Nathaniel Mott|date=Oct 17, 2012}}</ref> founder of MightyText Maneesh Arora, early [[Google]] product guy Richard Chen and [[Sonique (media player)|Sonique Player]] co-creator Tabreez Varjee.<ref name=TC-seed-and-launch /> This was followed by an undisclosed 2nd round of investment by Ludlow Ventures<ref name=HinduCookpad /> in 2014.

Cucumbertown is a US incorporated company with an Indian subsidiary and with two offices, one in Palo Alto, California, and another [[Bangalore]], India. Cucumbertown has reportedly users from 60 countries, the largest audience, after the US, is from [[Australia]] and the [[UAE]].<ref name=toi1 />

''[[The Economic Times]]'' showcased Cucumbertown as "one of the 14 startups to look forward to in 2014".<ref name=ET2014>{{cite news|title=14 startups to look forward to in 2014|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/biz-entrepreneurship/14-startups-to-look-forward-to-in-2014/cucumbertown/slideshow/27778076.cms|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref>

In October 2014, Cucumbertown released RecipeWriter, a user-friendly tool to add recipes.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-10-10/news/54868058_1_farmville-website-blogging|title = Cucumbertown brings out the main course with RecipeWriter|date = Oct 10, 2014|work =The Economic Times }}</ref> From late 2014, the company shifted its focus into becoming a food blogging platform.

In June 2015, it was announced that Cucumbertown, world's only niche food blogging platform, had been acquired by Japanese Recipe network, [[Cookpad]] in an undisclosed deal.<ref name=Vccookpad>{{cite news|title=Japan’s Cookpad acquires VCs-backed food blogging startup Cucumbertown|url=http://techcircle.vccircle.com/2015/06/16/japans-cookpad-acquires-vcs-backed-food-blogging-startup-cucumbertown/|publisher=VCCircle}}</ref><ref name=HinduCookpad>{{cite news|author1=B Pradeep Nair|title=Japanese firm acquires Bengaluru-based Cucumbertown|url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/japanese-firm-acquires-bengalurubased-cucumbertown/article7318522.ece|publisher=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name=BScookpad>{{cite news|author1=K Rajani Kanth|title=Cookpad buys Bengaluru-based startup Cucumbertown|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/cookpad-buys-bengaluru-based-startup-cucumbertown-115061800244_1.html|publisher=[[Business Standard]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.cucumbertown.com}}

[[Category:Online companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Silicon Valley]]
[[Category:500 Startups companies]]
[[Category:American cooking websites]]

Cucumbertown - Revision history

>Tec Tom: I added a link.