In the startup world, there’s often a race to build “the next big thing”—a unicorn, a platform, a one-stop solution that aims to solve everything for everyone. But what if the real opportunity isn’t in going big, but in going small—and doing it brilliantly?
That’s the philosophy behind Nom Nom, a bill splitter app that doesn’t try to be your financial planner, your bank, or your budgeting guru. Instead, it solves one very specific and very common pain point: the awkward moment when a group of people have to figure out who owes what after a shared expense.
It may not sound flashy, but it’s proving to be incredibly effective. And more importantly—it’s scalable.
The Problem Most People Don’t Talk About
From group dinners to takeaway orders, from weekend getaways to monthly groceries with flatmates—shared spending is a part of daily life. Yet, it’s rarely managed smoothly.
Someone always ends up doing the mental math, overpaying, underpaying, or chasing others for their share. For younger generations in particular—especially millennials and Gen Z—who are navigating co-living, flexible incomes, and high social engagement, these shared transactions happen frequently.
Nom Nom targets this exact situation. It’s not trying to rewire the financial system—it’s addressing a recurring, socially awkward moment that happens every day across the UK and beyond. And that’s exactly what makes it powerful.
What Nom Nom Does—and What It Doesn’t
Nom Nom is a mobile app built to simplify bill-splitting. The user scans a paper receipt—say, a dinner bill—and the app automatically reads and itemizes the items. Each person in the group selects what they ordered, and the app calculates who owes what, including tax and tip.
Users can share a link with others in the group to select their items—even if they don’t have the app installed. It’s fast, fair, and designed to eliminate the back-and-forth that often follows shared payments.
Crucially, Nom Nom does not try to be a banking app or expense tracker. It doesn’t promise to manage your income, track your savings, or help with investing. It solves one problem, and that focus is part of its strength.
The Bigger Picture: Micro-Solutions with Macro-Impact
In the tech world, the idea of “niching down” isn’t new—but it’s often overlooked in favour of feature-heavy, all-in-one platforms. Startups like Nom Nom demonstrate the opposite: that by solving a tiny but universal friction, they can build loyal user bases, drive organic growth, and scale naturally.
It also fits into a broader consumer trend: people are tired of bloated apps that try to do everything. They want tools that work well in context, without steep learning curves, data overload, or unnecessary complexity.
Nom Nom succeeds by being highly contextual, lightweight, and intuitive—making it easier for users to incorporate it into everyday social situations without disrupting the flow.
Monetization Without Overreach
Because Nom Nom focuses on a transactional moment, it has multiple paths for monetization that feel organic: premium features for power users (like recurring expense management for flatmates), brand partnerships, or optional integrations with digital wallets or loyalty platforms.
Importantly, it avoids the trap of overbuilding. Its core functionality remains focused—allowing the app to retain its simplicity while experimenting with monetization that doesn’t get in the user’s way.
In a market where many startups fail by scaling too fast or diversifying too broadly, Nom Nom’s lean approach feels both sustainable and strategic.
Scalability Through Repeatability
The magic of Nom Nom isn’t just that it works—it’s that it works over and over again in daily life.
- Flatmates use it to split groceries and cleaning supplies.
- Friends use it for takeaways, drinks, or cinema nights.
- Couples use it to track “you get this, I’ll get next time” balances.
- Travellers use it for group expenses without spreadsheets or awkward conversations.
The more socially active the user, the more relevant the app becomes. This repeat use creates built-in virality. Every time someone shares a bill link, they introduce a new user to the app—often without even trying.
That’s organic scale rooted in utility—not advertising.
Why It’s Worth Watching
Nom Nom is not just a clever tool—it represents a model of startup thinking that’s gaining momentum: focus deeply on a small but shared problem, build a clean solution, and grow naturally through value, not noise.
It’s the kind of lean, product-first approach that more founders are adopting in a post-growth-at-all-costs startup world. It’s also what makes the app relevant to investors, business strategists, and product designers alike.
And in an age where consumers are more selective about what earns space on their phones, apps like Nom Nom are quietly proving that doing one thing well—at the right time, in the right place—can go further than trying to do everything.
Final Thought
Nom Nom isn’t trying to change the world. But it is trying to make one very common moment—splitting a bill with others—a lot easier. And that’s exactly what gives it the power to scale.
Sometimes, the most successful startups aren’t the ones chasing big problems. They’re the ones solving small, human ones—thousands of times a day.
Nom Nom is proof that if you build for the moment that matters, the market will find you.
