Wiley Cerilli is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in the online food ordering and delivery industry for over two decades. He was an early employee at Seamless, a pioneer in the field, and later founded and sold SinglePlatform, a platform that helped small businesses manage their online presence, for $100 million. He also became a venture capitalist and invested in several promising startups, before launching his own food delivery startup, Good Uncle, in 2016. What is Wiley Cerilli’s net worth and how did he achieve it? Let’s find out.
From Seamless to SinglePlatform
Wiley Cerilli dropped out of college twice, first from Syracuse University and then from NYU, to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship. He joined Seamless, which was then a small startup that allowed customers to order food online from local restaurants, in 1999. He worked there for 11 years, helping the company grow and expand to new markets. He also learned a lot about the challenges and opportunities in the online food industry.
In 2010, he decided to start his own company, SinglePlatform, which aimed to solve a problem that he noticed while working at Seamless. He realized that many small businesses, especially restaurants, did not have a consistent and updated online presence. They had to manage their information, menus, and offers across multiple platforms, such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Seamless. This was time-consuming and inefficient, and often resulted in inaccurate or outdated information.
SinglePlatform offered a simple solution: a single platform that allowed small businesses to create and update their online identity across all the major platforms. This way, they could reach more customers, increase their visibility, and boost their sales. SinglePlatform also partnered with publishers and aggregators, such as The New York Times, Foursquare, and TripAdvisor, to distribute the information to millions of users.
SinglePlatform quickly gained traction and popularity among small businesses and consumers. It raised $4.5 million from investors, including First Round Capital and DFJ Gotham Ventures, and grew to over 100 employees and 15,000 customers. In 2012, Cerilli sold SinglePlatform to Constant Contact, an email marketing company, for $100 million. As a sole founder who had only raised a small amount of funding, Cerilli became a very rich man.
From Venture Capitalist to Good Uncle
After selling SinglePlatform, Cerilli did not retire or rest on his laurels. He continued to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. He joined First Round Capital, one of the investors in SinglePlatform, as a venture partner in 2014. He invested in several startups, such as Spring, a mobile shopping app, and Binti, an adoption platform.
While working as a venture capitalist, Cerilli had an idea for another food delivery startup. He noticed that there was a gap in the market for high-quality food delivery in smaller, non-NFL cities, such as New Haven or Syracuse. These places had dense populations, especially of college students, but lacked easy access to great food. He also realized that most food delivery services offered too many choices and menus, which overwhelmed and confused the customers.
He decided to create a food delivery service that offered only a few items from the world’s most iconic restaurants, such as the best salads from Sweetgreen or the best pizza from Roberta’s. He wanted to bring the best food from the best places to the customers, without compromising on quality, speed, or convenience. He called his startup Good Uncle.
He approached Josh Kopelman, another partner at First Round Capital, with his idea in 2015. Kopelman was impressed and encouraged him to pursue it. He also offered to invest in it. Cerilli quit his job at First Round Capital, and brought Matt Doumar, who had built SinglePlatform’s product team, on board as a co-founder. They launched Good Uncle in 2016.
Good Uncle operates differently from other food delivery services. It does not partner with local restaurants, but instead cooks its own food in central kitchens, using recipes and ingredients from the famous restaurants. It then delivers the food to customers using a fleet of specially designed trucks, which have ovens and refrigerators to keep the food fresh and hot. Customers can order the food using an app, and pick it up from designated drop-off points near their location.
Good Uncle has raised $2.2 million from investors, including First Round Capital, Box Group, and Gunderson Dettmer. It currently operates in four cities: New Haven, Syracuse, Newark, and College Park. It plans to expand to more cities and campuses in the future. It has also received positive feedback and reviews from customers, who love the quality and variety of the food.
Wiley Cerilli Net Worth and Future Plans
Wiley Cerilli has not disclosed his exact net worth, but it is estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. He has made most of his fortune from selling SinglePlatform, but he also has stakes in several startups that he has invested in or founded. He lives in New York City, and is engaged to Galey Alix, a home designer and influencer.
Cerilli is not planning to slow down or stop anytime soon. He is passionate about building and growing Good Uncle, and making it the best food delivery service in the country. He is also interested in exploring new opportunities and challenges in the online food industry, and in other sectors as well. He is always looking for new ways to innovate and create value for customers and society.
Wiley Cerilli is a remarkable entrepreneur who has built and sold two successful startups in the online food industry. He has also been a venture capitalist and an investor in several promising startups. He has a net worth of millions of dollars, and a bright future ahead of him. He is an inspiration and a role model for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators.