A Chicago oatmeal startup has expanded to hundreds of grocery stores after just launching in June.
Yishi, led by co-founder and CEO Lin Jiang, makes a line of Asian-inspired oatmeals. Its flavors include Taro Bubble Tea, Matcha Late and Toasted Black Sesame, among others.
In less than a year, Yishi has expanded to almost 600 stores across the U.S., including Meijer, Gelson's, Wegmans, Central Market, Bristol Farms and Whole Foods, the company said.
Jiang and co-founder Ze Li, both MBA students at the University of Chicago, have raised $3.13 million in pre-seed funding this year from XXY Ventures and CompanyFirst. Yishi, which means "ritual" in Chinese, was inspired by Jiang's Chinese heritage and her desire for a healthy, yet flavorful, breakfast option. The startup's oatmeal is high in protein and fiber and has zero added sugar, the company says.
Yishi joins a growing group of venture-backed CPG startups in Chicago, including AYO Foods, which is bringing West African cuisine to the freezer aisle, Cool Beans, a plant-based frozen burrito, and frozen waffle startup Evergreen.
Chicago's food startup successes include Home Chef, which was bought by Kroger in 2018 in a deal worth up to $700 million. Home Chef now does more than $1 billion in annual sales. And RXBAR, maker of a popular nutrition bar, which was bought by Kellogg in 2017 for $600 million.
