LOS ANGELES. Chinese food brand Fly By Jing has raised $12 million in Series B funding to support expanded retail distribution. The Sichuan chili crisp maker plans to launch in Kroger, Albertsons and other national grocers, in addition to existing retail accounts including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Target and Costco.
Founded in 2018, Fly By Jing is a line of grocery staples and frozen snacks inspired by the flavors of founder Jing Gao’s hometown of Chengdu and its restaurants. The company recently added two industry veterans to its leadership team. Matt Dunage, formerly of Follow Your Heart, is chief financial officer and chief operating officer, and Jason Parasko, formerly with Sovos Brands, is chief commercial officer.
Acting investor Prelude Growth Partners led the round with strategic investment and advisory platform Pendulum.
“I am so proud of the Fly By Jing team and how far we have come in four short years to transform the ‘ethnic aisle’ of the grocery store into a place of bold, global flavors and innovation,” said Ms. Gao. . “With the continued, unwavering support of the women-led team at Prelude Growth Partners, combined with Pendulum’s dedication to underrepresented founders of color, Fly By Jing has the kind of leadership and ownership that will truly make it a household name. We look forward to working with our retailers to make our flavors available to more people and further our mission of developing culture through taste.”
Neda Daneshzadeh, co-founder and managing partner of New York-based Prelude Growth Partners, described Fly By Jing as “one of America’s most disruptive spice brands.”
“The brand has become a cult favorite, bringing authentic, bold flavors to the category, and we are pleased to further support the investment in the company’s retail expansion and product innovation strategy,” said Ms. Daneshzadeh.
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