LeBron James’ recent investment is taking him further into the food business.
AfroTech previously reported in February that the NBA superstar’s Foundation teamed up with Old El Paso to officially open their first-ever restaurant in 2023. Now, he’s joined a new platform that is for the foodie community.
Page Six reports that James became an investor in Kittch, a live-streaming platform for chefs and creators to connect, which launched on Mar. 8.
After being in beta for three to four months, the platform aims to highlight famous chefs along with users having free access to their live streams of cooking from their homes or restaurants, according to the outlet. After the effects of the pandemic, Kittch’s co-founders created the idea to help rebuild upon what chefs had lost out on financially.
What Kittch Offers
Kittch users will be able to create their own original content, tap into 24/7 live streams, pay for classes to learn from top chefs, and engage in culinary arts.
Currently, the celebrity chef lineup features Marcus Samuelsson, Amanda Freitag, Amanda Schulman, and more. In the near future, the digital company also plans to add home cooks to its roster.
“The goal is to be a diverse, democratic place where as you build a following, you build the ability to monetize, and you’re able to really take advantage of the platform as a place of discovery and a place of community,” Kittch CEO Brian Bedol told Fast Company. “In two years, we would love to see 10,000 or 20,000 chefs on the platform. We don’t envision it as a place that is trying to be exclusive and exclusionary. We envision it sort of like Twitch, where you’re able to see who the most popular creators are.”
The Platform's Donations
According to the outlet, Kittch will donate to a women’s hospitality initiative for every new user. The generous act aligns with the mission “to address food insecurity and other societal issues.”
