MíLá is a startup company disrupting the frozen food industry by producing and distributing frozen Chinese soup dumplings directly to consumers and American grocery stores. Founders Jen Liao and Caleb Wang use market research and customer feedback to guide innovative product creation. Despite common challenges faced by an Asian American female founder, the company has raised $20 million in its series A round.
The restaurant was open for about a year and a half before COVID-19 struck. We were shut down for a few weeks but reopened for takeout. We experimented with frozen soup dumplings as a separate item during that time. My mom started a WeChat group and pulled in people from her network. We sent a Google form and PayPal link, and we got a bunch of orders the first day.
What's authentic is what we grew up with and our lived experiences. This food embodies us because we grew up with Chinese food that our parents made and other cuisines and influences in the U.S. We do beta testing for new products that require it but not for variations of existing products. If it's a new product, we test the flavor, noodle type, and cooking instructions and see if people can follow them correctly. We also gauge the reception to determine if it's worth pursuing.You raised $20 million in series A funding.