Back to the Future: Gainful Co-Founder Launches ‘Nostalgia’ Inspired Frozen Dumplings

Gainful co-founder Eric Ji Sun Wu and former Motif FoodWorks and Better Meat Company scientist Adam Yee have teamed up to launch a frozen dumpling company called Sobo Foods, which is available for hand delivery in the San Francisco Bay Area through next week.

Wu and Yee – also creator of the CPG podcast series My Food Job Rocks – are part of a growing class of first-generation Asian food entrepreneurs that are attempting to recreate familiar flavors in a modern context – a group that includes fast-growing CPG startups such as Bachan’s, immi, Omsom, Fly By Jing, Sanzo, Dumpling Daughter, Nguyen Coffee Supply and others.

After co-founding personalized sports nutrition company Gainful in his dorm room as a 21-year-old student in 2017, Wu announced last October his plans to transition to a part-time advisory role at the company, as well as continuing his work as a board member. Last month, Gainful announced its plans to expand offline by launching nationwide in Target.

Oakland-based Sobo is now fulfilling text message-based orders for its three-SKU line of plant-based frozen dumplings — available in Kimchi & Mushroom, “Pork” & Chive and Curry Potato flavors — to customers in the Bay through May 14.

“I will bring dumplings to your doorstep…and probably take a selfie with you,” wrote Eric. “First 50 customers will get a special gift.”

Described as being “inspired by nostalgia, but crafted with the future in mind,” Sobo aims to reimagine traditional flavors from Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisines with a plant-forward, climate-conscious vision.

The company has raised around $1 million thus far, according to a report in AG Funder News, from investors including Ryan Bethencourt and Mariliis Holm at Sustainable Food Ventures, Vega founder Charles Chang. Rusty Schwartz, the founder of KitchenTown, a food innovation center where the product is being manufactured, is also a backer, while Montage Ventures is its single institutional investor.

As for Sobo’s future, Yee told AG Funder Sobo has some “really interesting IP” for which it is currently pursuing patents.