Nomiku

Working in restaurant kitchens during college, Lisa Q. Fetterman became obsessed with large, industrial sous-vide cookers. These appliances heat vacuum-sealed food, slowly, in a low-temperature water bath, preserving flavor and texture. She told Abe Fetterman, her future husband, about the devices on their first date. They finished out the evening building one. The couple started making sous-vide cookers for friends, and then created a DIY kit that they sold, along with classes, in maker spaces. In 2012, they raised close to $600,000 on Kickstarter and moved to China to study manufacturing. Now the Fettermans' company, Nomiku, is manufacturing the $250, Wi-Fi-enabled appliances in San Francisco and selling them to home cooks and restaurants around the world. A best-selling cookbook, an appearance at the first White House Maker Faire, and a Shark Tank moment (Chris Sacca bit) have further raised Lisa's profile. The company chiefly sells direct, but recently made its debut in Williams-Sonoma. Investors include Y Combinator, which helped Nomiku develop a sous-vide recipe-sharing app. The company recently dipped its toes into frozen foods. "In the beginning, it was just us and our friends," says Lisa. "Then it moved to professionals and food fanatics. Now it's anyone who knows how to put food in a bag." --Leigh Buchanan