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Fly By Jing
Techstars '19Los Angeles, US · Founded 2018 · 22 employees on LinkedIn · 5 known investors
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Fly By Jing produces Sichuan sourced condiments and noodles, along with a cookbook featuring recipes using chili crisp and related ingredients. The company serves home cooks and food enthusiasts interested in authentic Chinese cuisine.
Also known as Fly by Jing
Founders & leadership
Fly By Jing was founded in 2018 by Jing Gao.
Investors · 5
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us
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Also in the syndicate · 1
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$12M disclosed across 1 round · 2023
- $12MSeries BMar 2023 · 3 sources
Pendulum, Prelude Growth Partners
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Fly By Jing is a Los Angeles-based premium Chinese food company that makes Sichuan-sourced condiments, sauces and noodles for home cooks. Its hero product is Sichuan Chili Crisp, alongside variants including Xtra Spicy, Xtra Crunchy, Mild Crunchy Garlic and an XL format, plus Sweet + Spicy Sichuan Chili Sauce, Fire Hot Pot Base, Erjingtiao chilis and Tribute (Sichuan) peppercorns. The catalog also includes noodle packs, gift and sampler sets, hot pot kits, limited-edition holiday advent calendars, merchandise and a cookbook, The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, which contains 85 recipes and is described on the company site as a James Beard Award winner.
The company positions itself as the first modern Chinese food brand to popularize chili crisp in the United States, framing its mission as moving bold Chinese flavors out of the grocery "ethnic aisle" into mainstream pantry categories. Products are made in Sichuan Province and sold in the US, with the brand emphasizing real ingredients and non-GMO oils. Press coverage notes the product line spans pantry staples and frozen appetizers.
Founding story
Jing Gao founded Fly By Jing in 2018, inspired by the flavors of her hometown Chengdu and its "fly restaurants" — small hole-in-the-wall eateries said to be so good they attract diners like flies. She began with pop-up dinners before translating those flavors into a packaged line of Sichuan-sourced condiments and noodles.
Business model
Fly By Jing sells packaged food products through its own direct-to-consumer e-commerce site and through grocery and mass retailers, supplemented by a paid membership program and branded merchandise and books.
Revenue comes from product sales: individual jars and multi-packs of sauces, noodles, gift sets and limited-edition items sold direct-to-consumer, wholesale distribution to retailers, and a subscription-style Tastemaker Club membership that provides 20% off and free shipping in exchange for membership.
Traction
As of March 2023 the brand was in more than 4,000 retail doors, including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Target and Costco, with planned expansion into Kroger and Albertsons. Its Sichuan Chili Crisp became the top-selling hot sauce on Amazon within six months of launching on the platform. The company's Chili Crisp Best Sellers set carries 3,305 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 on its own site.
Latest developments
The company is currently selling 2026 limited-edition 12-day ($98) and 24-day ($175) advent calendars by pre-order, operates a Tastemaker Club membership offering 20% off and free shipping, and markets a limited bean-to-bar chocolate collaboration with KESSHŌ. Its cookbook, The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp, is sold on-site and identified as a James Beard Award winner.
▸Full profile — market position, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Fly By Jing is described in trade and press coverage as the first modern Chinese food brand to popularize chili crisp in the US market and as a cult-favorite, fast-growing condiment brand; its Sichuan Chili Crisp became the top-selling hot sauce on Amazon within six months of listing.
The brand differentiates on Sichuan-sourced ingredients and single-origin flavor provenance, a founder-led narrative rooted in Chengdu's "fly restaurants," premium positioning with 100% real ingredients, and an ecosystem extending beyond condiments into noodles, hot pot, a cookbook, merchandise and seasonal gifting formats.
Go-to-market
The company combines a Shopify-based direct-to-consumer storefront (with free shipping over $75, email capture offering 20% off a first order, and a store locator) with national retail distribution. Fly By Jing reported more than 4,000 retail doors as of March 2023, including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Target and Costco, and used its Series B to enter Kroger, Albertsons and other national grocery chains. Its chili crisp also became a top-selling hot sauce on Amazon. Marketing leans on founder storytelling, recipe content, membership perks and product collaborations such as a chocolate line with KESSHŌ.
Home cooks and food enthusiasts in the United States seeking Sichuan and Chinese flavors, reached both online and through national grocery and club retailers.
Geography
Headquartered in Los Angeles with products made in Sichuan Province, China. E-commerce shipping is limited to the continental United States (excluding Alaska, Hawaii and US territories), with no international shipping offered; retail distribution is nationwide across US grocery and club chains.
History
Launched in 2018 as what press describes as the first modern Chinese food brand of its kind, the company's Sichuan Chili Crisp became a top-selling hot sauce on Amazon shortly after launch. By early 2023 the brand was stocked in over 4,000 retail doors including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Target and Costco. In March 2023 it raised a $12 million Series B from existing investor Prelude Growth Partners alongside Pendulum, and added Matt Dunaj (formerly Follow Your Heart) as CFO/COO and Jason Parasco (formerly Sovos Brands/Rao's) as Chief Commercial Officer. The product line has since expanded to include noodles, hot pot bases, merchandise, a cookbook and limited-edition advent calendars.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Related companies · 2
Companies working in the same space as Fly By Jing.
Timeline · 6
launches, deals, and filingsA limited collection of bean-to-bar craft chocolates combining Sichuan heat, produced with KESSHŌ.
The company opened pre-orders for 12-day ($98) and 24-day ($175) limited-edition advent calendars containing Sichuan flavor items.
Existing investor Prelude Growth Partners funded/led the round alongside Pendulum, with capital earmarked for retail expansion into Kroger, Albertsons and other national grocery retailers and for product innovation.
$12M source ↗
Fly By Jing announced launches into Kroger, Albertsons and other national grocery retailers, adding to more than 4,000 existing doors including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Target and Costco.
Jason Parasco, previously with Sovos Brands (Rao's), joined Fly By Jing as chief commercial officer.
Matt Dunaj, formerly of Follow Your Heart, joined Fly By Jing as chief financial officer and chief operating officer.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Fly By Jingflybyjing.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Fly By Jing do?
- Fly By Jing is a Los Angeles-based Chinese food brand selling Sichuan chili crisp, sauces, noodles and pantry staples.
- Who founded Fly By Jing?
- Fly By Jing was founded by Jing Gao in 2018.
- Who are Fly By Jing's investors?
- Fly By Jing's investors include Palm Tree Crew Investments, Techstars, Gold House Ventures, Prelude Growth Partners.
- How much funding has Fly By Jing raised?
- Fly By Jing has disclosed $12M raised across 1 round.
- Where is Fly By Jing headquartered?
- Fly By Jing is headquartered in Los Angeles, US.