June (company) explained

June
Parent:Weber Inc.
Key People:Matt Van Horn (Co-founder, President, CEO)
Nikhil Bhogal (Co-founder, CTO)
Area Served:United States
Products:Kitchenware
Num Employees:40
Founded:June, 2015
Location:San Francisco

June is a home automation company based in San Francisco. Its first product was the June Intelligent Oven, a Wi-Fi-enabled, app-connected countertop convection oven that employs machine learning and computer vision technologies to identify and cook food.

History

June was founded by Matt Van Horn and Nikhil Bhogal and launched in June 2015. Van Horn previously co-founded Zimride, which spun off the ride-sharing service Lyft, while Bhogal designed the camera software for the iPhone’s first five generations and was as an inventor on multiple Apple camera software patents. June team members have also worked on the Apple Watch, GoPro cameras and Fitbit fitness trackers. Michelin-starred chef Michael Mina is an advisor to June.[1]

The first generation oven was launched in December 2016. June launched its second generation June Oven in August 2018 as the "do-it-all oven" and seven appliances in one - a countertop convection oven, air fryer, slow cooker, dehydrator, broiler, toaster and warming drawer.

Design

The oven is controlled by a 5-inch touch screen and connected app.[2] [3] Programmable and sensor-driven, the oven uses a built-in scale, core-temperature thermometer and a camera to suggest cooking time and temperature. The internal high-definition camera with a fisheye lens that is designed to recognize commonly cooked foods.[4] [5] The company claims the oven’s optical recognition can identify foods such as frozen pizza, bacon, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and potatoes and can differentiate between different types of fish.

The June Oven has dual-surround convection fans, digital TRIAC controllers, a GPU processor, a 2.3-gigahertz NVIDIA chip, and carbon-fiber heating elements.[6] [7] Ammunition Design Group aided with the industrial design of the June Oven and Quanta Computer aided in the manufacturing.[8]

The iOS and Android apps display a live-stream video of the inside of the oven and then sends a notification when the food is done.[9]

Funding

June received $7 million in Series A funding from the Foundry Group, First Round Capital, Lerer Ventures, and Founders Fund.

Acquisition

On January 12, 2021, it was announced that June was acquired by Weber Inc. for an undisclosed amount.[10] Following the acquisition, it will exist as a “strategic business unit” within Weber. Co-founder Matt Van Horn will serve as president of June while the company's other co-founder, Nikhil Bhogal, will become senior vice president, technology and connected devices of Weber. Van Horn will continue to focus on June Oven while Bhogal will work with Weber R&D programs and new products.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Raphael. Lisa. This Crazy Awesome Gadget Will Change Your Kitchen Forever. Brit + Co. 1 August 2015. 9 June 2015.
  2. Web site: Coldeway. Devin. June Smart Oven Wants You to Let It Do the Cooking For You. NBC News. 9 June 2015 . 24 July 2015.
  3. Web site: Hernandez. Daniela. Terrible cooks of the world, this smart oven will do the work for you. Fusion. 24 July 2015. 9 June 2015. 25 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725142021/http://fusion.net/story/147480/terrible-cooks-of-the-world-this-smart-oven-will-do-all-the-work-for-you/. dead.
  4. Web site: Rothman. Wilson. June Smart Oven Points to a Future of Perfectly Cooked Food. Wall Street Journal. 8 August 2015. 9 June 2015.
  5. Pierce. David. This Smart Oven Bakes Perfect Cookies Without Your Help. WIRED. 24 July 2015. 9 June 2015.
  6. Web site: Higginbotham. Stacey. An oven as smart as your Xbox could be coming to a kitchen near you. Fortune. 24 July 2015. 9 June 2015.
  7. Web site: PCH. PCH Talks with Matt Van Horn, Co-founder and CEO of June Oven. 27 July 2015. 22 July 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151002133535/https://theblueprint.com/stories/june-oven/. 2 October 2015.
  8. Web site: Brownlee. John. Let This Intelligent Oven Cook All Your Meals For You. Fast Company. 25 July 2015. 9 June 2015.
  9. Web site: Thompson. Ashlee Clarke. Live-stream baking? Company puts camera in countertop oven. CNET. 25 July 2015. 9 June 2015.
  10. Web site: Weber acquires smart oven maker June. 2021-01-12. Engadget. 12 January 2021 . en.
  11. Web site: Weber acquires smart oven maker June. Engadget. January 12, 2021 . Billy Steele. June 29, 2023.