Our mission

Built by parents.
For families.

Hearth started with a simple frustration: too many apps, not enough family time. We built something better — and 12,000+ families agree.

Our story

How Hearth came to be

Mei Lin Ng, a Portland-based working mom and engineer, built the first Hearth prototype on a Raspberry Pi in her kitchen — to solve her own family's chaos. Between school pickups, sports schedules, and meal planning, something always fell through the cracks.

That prototype became a product. Sweater Ventures backed the vision at seed, and Hearth launched to its first 500 beta families in 2023. By 2025, more than 12,000 households across the US were running on Hearth.

The mission hasn't changed: give families one beautiful, shared system that actually works.

12,000+ families 4.9/5 rating
2022
The First Prototype
Mei Lin builds Hearth v0 on a Raspberry Pi in her Portland kitchen.
Early 2023
Seed Funding
Sweater Ventures backs Hearth at seed stage. The team grows to five people.
Fall 2023
Beta Launch
500 beta families receive their Hearth displays. Feedback pours in. The product gets sharper.
2024
Official Launch & Award
Hearth ships to the public. Named Portland Startup of the Year 2024 by the Portland Business Journal.
2025
12,000+ Families
Hearth reaches households in all 50 states. AI meal planning and Hearth Helper launch.
What we stand for

Our values

Every product decision at Hearth comes back to these three principles.

Family-First Design

Every feature is designed around how families actually live — not how productivity apps think they should. Real life is messy, and Hearth is built for it.

Privacy by Default

Your family's data stays your family's data. We don't sell it, we don't share it. Hearth is a tool for you, not a product that uses you.

Grow With Your Family

Kids grow fast. Hearth grows with them. Our platform evolves with your family's needs — from toddler routines to teen schedules and beyond.

Investors & press

Backed and recognized

Sweater Ventures believed in our vision early, and the press has taken notice.

Sweater Ventures

Seed investor. A venture fund backing the next generation of founders building the future of everyday life.

Press Coverage

Featured in TechCrunch, Product Hunt (#1 Product of the Day), and reviewed by The Verge as "the family display done right."

Portland Startup of the Year 2024

Awarded by the Portland Business Journal — recognizing Hearth's impact on families and the local tech ecosystem.

Want to join the story?

Meet the team, read the blog, or reach out to say hi.

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