In 2009, Robert Wang and two partners, both former colleagues at Nortel in Ottawa, Canada, started what would become Instant Pot.

Both partners left, but he was soon joined by friends Yi Qin and Dongjun Wang, who had also previously worked in the region's tech sector, both at BlackBerry (RIM).

On June 12, 2023, Instant Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after high interest rates and waning access to credit hit its cash position and made its debts unsustainable.

The Instant Pot was an unconventional viral marketing success story, with owners often describing themselves as "addicts" or "cult members.

"[8] The brand was never advertised on TV or in newspapers, but the word-of-mouth publicity and ardent fans spawned a near-religious devotion.

[17] In February 2018, five production runs of Instant Pot Gem 65 8-in-1 Multicookers were recalled because they were overheating and subsequently melting due to a manufacturing defect.