CassCaps Offers Cooking with a Twist
CassCaps, a participant in Rev’s Prototype-to-Production Hardware Accelerator, is launching a Kickstarter campaign on Tuesday, August 4 at 9:00am EST, to help commercialize the startup’s first patented product, a cap and jar set that eliminates the need for measuring spoons by measuring spices and powdered ingredients straight from the bottle. This innovative kitchen gadget allows cooks to dispense in quarter or half teaspoon increments with a simple click and a twist.
Father-daughter duo Mark and Erika LaCasse are the co-founders of CassCaps. The two Cornell alumni have been actively working on their startup for the past couple of years. According to Erika, the idea for the product came to her father about 25 years ago.
“I wanted to apply what I had learned in college to the real world while exploring entrepreneurship. My father already had a half-baked idea, and I saw this as an opportune time to embark on a learning journey while also helping my dad bring an idea from 25 years ago into a tangible reality. It’s been very exciting and rewarding working with my father.”
After graduating early from Cornell, Erika decided to help her dad’s idea come to fruition by participating in Rev’s Prototype-to-Production Hardware Accelerator. She also participated in W.E. Cornell, which helps STEM women commercialize their innovations. Her father, Mark, brought extensive entrepreneurial experience to the table. He co-invented the pineapple slicer, which today has sold over 50 million units worldwide while working for the Chiquita Banana in Europe, before building Guardian Industries’ Latin American flat glass division over the course of 20 years, becoming one of the company’s most profitable corporate divisions with glass plants and distribution centers throughout Latin America. The melding of Erika’s innovative ideas and knack for marketing and Mark’s entrepreneurial experience has allowed the startup to flourish during its early stages of development.
Participation in the Prototype-to-Production Hardware Accelerator allowed the company to better understand the manufacturing process, obtain one-on-one mentorship from Rev’s Entrepreneurs in Residence, and participate in various networking opportunities. Erika credits her cohort as a primary source of inspiration and guidance.
“The cohort itself has been instrumental—everyone is so highly motivated and collaborative; when sharing my company’s updates, my cohort has always provided me with great new insights, feedback, connections, and network introductions.”
With the startup’s ties to Cornell, the CassCaps founders are proud to be part of the area’s entrepreneurial community and are excited to share their passion for cooking and entrepreneurship with others.
To learn more about CassCaps’ signature product or to offer support to the emerging startup, visit the Kickstarter page.