Google Ventures, with the help of Sparklabs Global Ventures, has helped fund a $1.2-million round for San Francisco-based smart kitchen firm The Orange Chef. The latter wants to connect basic kitchen appliances to the Internet, wrote VentureBeat.

The Prep Pad is Orange Chef's latest invention. This is a Bluetooth-enabled scale that provides its users real-time nutritional information about the ingredients used in their meals. This device is a considerable step up from its less high-tech products like the iPad stand-equipped cutting board. The Prep Pad shows how smart kitchen appliances can help improve people's health. The device starts shipping in February, the report detailed.

Smart devices are a lucrative market. A lot of companies including Quirky and Samsung are already trying to tap into their share of the said market, the report said.

Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, The Social+Capital Partnership, Kima Ventures, Graph Ventures, and angel investors also participated in this funding round, VentureBeat reported.