FirstBuild, the global co-creation community and innovation lab for GE Appliances, announced the launch of Mella, the "Smart Mushroom Fruiting Chamber."
Mella is the first countertop appliance made for growing edible gourmet mushrooms at home and automates the process for consistent results every time, according to a news release. It is available for presale now with early-bird pricing starting at $349 and is expected to begin shipping to backers in spring 2022.
Mella builds upon FirstBuild’s prior presale successes, including the Opal Nugget Ice Maker, which earned more than $2.7 million in its Indiegogo campaign.
You can see the product in action in the video below.
Mella creates the ideal environment for a variety of gourmet mushrooms by automating humidity and providing airflow, making the process easy for beginner pinners to mycelium masters and unearths a world of mushroom cultivation possibilities, according to the release.
“Following the massive trend of sourdough bread making at home, we saw that #mushroomgrowing was also exploding with millions of views across social platforms," said André Zdanow, executive director of FirstBuild and Small Appliances at GE Appliances. "While breadmakers are readily available, our team found no current way for those interested in mushroom growing to garner consistent results and immediately wanted to invent a solution. We’re excited to introduce Mella and bring the fascination of growing mushrooms into even more homes,”
Mella is being brought to life through co-creation with mushroom experts, including CEO and co-founder of North Spore Eliah Thanhauser, CEO and co-founder of FreshCap Tony Shields, Bon Appetit’s Brad Leone, and other mushroom experts.
“I'm always looking for new and innovative ways to help enthusiasts find success with the mushroom growing process. Our collaboration with FirstBuild is exciting because Mella makes mushroom growing practical for hobbyists and small-scale growers by giving them a low-maintenance way to enjoy our grow kits — and the mushroom growing experience — with minimal effort and maximum reward,” said Thanhauser.
FirstBuild strives to launch a dozen new products or features each year, with the ultimate goal of launching them at scale — often to its parent company, GE Appliances, which is one of Louisville's largest employers.
