Today, we’re really happy to announce we’ve sold Cookening to VizEat. I will copy here the announcement we sent to the community, but I’d like to focus on two things:

• Our objective has always been to find the best solution for our community. That’s why it took us one year to find it, and we now strongly believed this new chapter will be the best thing for our community.
  
• As an entrepreneur, I’m more than happy to have found such an exit for a project that could have died or stopped several times because of lack of financing and also mistakes we did. 
  

The journey was amazing, we learned so much, and we’re very grateful to all the people who worked with us. 

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When we embarked on the Cookening adventure, almost 3 years ago, Sébastien, Julien and I, Cédric, set ourselves a simple mission: allow as many people as possible to discover the joy of sharing a Meal at a local home. We have always believed that these meals are amazing opportunities to bring together people and cultures.

Our goal has always been to offer our users the best experience possible and to make Cookening a global phenomenon, in the spirit of other sharing economy platforms which have inspired us, such as Airbnb or BlaBlaCar. Together, we have been the pioneers, but we needed the financial means to continue the development of our website and community.

When we realised, at the beginning of 2014, that we wouldn’t be able to secure external funding, we began searching for the right partner, taking our time. We were looking for a partner that shares our values and ambitions and has the means to offer community the best possible future.

Today, we are delighted to introduce you this partner: VizEat. VizEat is an adventure very similar to Cookening, since it has been founded by Jean-Michel and Camille, who also sought to create a platform that brings people together around a meal. VizEat is supported by investors, and this provides them with the means to develop their website and community.

VizEat has now purchased Cookening. Is this going to change anything? Only for the better:

• The service offered by VizEat is the same as that of Cookening, so you will be able to host or participate in meals just like you’ve been doing already.
• In a few weeks from now, the technical transferring of accounts will be completed. No effort from your side will be necessary.
• There will be some changes, but only good ones, as VizEat will be able to enhance communication and traffic to its website and improve your user experience according to your needs. All hosts will therefore be able to host even more frequently than before or to do so for the first time, and guests will have even more to choose from than before! And VizEat already provides a Host Insurance, underwritten by Llody’s of London, for up to 100,000 €.

Before we finish, a few words from Camille who will be your contact from now on. I will of course still be around, not only because I will continue as a Host, but also because I will be advising Jean-Michel and Camille regarding the development of VizEat.

“We’re very happy to welcome the Cookening community within VizEat. Vizeat is expanding very fast and offers every days meals arround the world. With our team, and thanks to Cédric’s help and experience, we want to make sure you’ll get a wonderful experience, either as host or as guest.”

In the name of Sébastien and Julien, as well as in that of everyone who worked by our side on Cookening: Théo, Kim, Wendy, Julien, Lena, Agathe, Sophie and of course Aurel and Sarah-Lou from BeyondCroissant, we’d like to warmly thank you for having joined us in the Cookening adventure and for having given us your confidence. You just had the first course with Cookening, and there’s still an entire meal to come with VizEat!

Cédric Giorgi

Co-founder & CEO Cookening