When Maodong Xu—the billionaire entrepreneur and inventor known for his investment savvy and out-of-the-box thinking—identified the need for better ingredient sourcing and distribution for Asian cuisine eateries in the U.S., the fusion of Chinese distribution models and U.S. technology was a natural first step. Starting the Fresh2 project would take planning, development, and an intrinsic understanding of food sourcing in the U.S., and for that, Mr. Xu gathered one of his greatest resources to move forward—the perfect team.
The Internal Talent Responsible for Fresh2
To shake up the traditional food distribution models utilized by the large and established business-to-business food delivery companies, the developers at Fresh2 had to understand how the open-source concept for an e-commerce platform could meet restaurant owners’ needs and supply the best ingredients in a user-friendly way. It was clear from the start that putting one-click ordering power in the hands of U.S. customers would require a development team who could mirror what was working in China and add a western twist.
Working with tech developers is nothing new for Maodong Xu. For over 25 years, he has founded, built, and sold his own tech companies and inventions in multi-million-dollar acquisitions, and finding the best developers to meet the unique needs of the Fresh2 e-commerce platforms was as easy as tapping into his existing talent pool and then filling in the additional skills needed with fresh talent. Fresh2’s development team has worked tirelessly to develop an end-to-end system which connects the food source with the ordering restaurant owner, creating a farm-to-table approach to finding specialty ingredients for Asian cuisine.
The Fresh2 platform is modeled after similar food distribution systems used in China, and the platform’s strategic shareholder, Meicai, was an ideal tech model. Matching these proven technologies and systems with the needs of a growing specialty Asian food market in the U.S. would require next-level talent, and Maodong Xu was quick to identify the best candidates for the job. Adding key industry experts to the team who had worked for the likes of Sysco and other big players in the sector gave Fresh2 an edge in creating better practices and addressing the needs that were going unmet.
“Investing in new business endeavors isn’t just about the financial risk,” says Mr. Xu. “The best bet for a big win and successful project is finding the talent that can connect the dots and identify things you didn’t even know you didn’t know. We learn, implement, and execute well when the right team is in place.”
Creating a food sourcing system that is participative and taps into collaboration is not a new idea. It’s the technology behind Fresh2 and its specialty market focus that is elevating Fresh2 in the marketplace, and that success can be traced back to the team that continues to work to enhance platform features. In the near future, Fresh2 expects to implement blockchain technologies to allow customers to trace food ingredients.
Building the Fresh2 Team Experience
Fresh2 stepped into the food supply market and propelled the entire sector into new territory, waving a fond adieu to the status quo and bringing new possibilities to overlooked consumers in the specialty Asian food space. This better B2B e-commerce platform embraces its farmers and wholesale food distributors as an extension of the Fresh2 team. Gone are the low-touch components used by standard food distribution methods, and in their place is a platform that unites customers with food sources through the interactive app and one-click ordering.
With blockchain in its future and the right tech and teams to create a stellar consumer experience, customer loyalty allows for platform growth and further innovation. This specialty Asian food market is just the beginning, and Fresh2 is honing its process and connecting its users to create the best possible end-to-end experience before branching out into other specialty markets. The crux of the platform’s success comes down to the development, implementation, and customer service teams that continue to upend expectations and bring Fresh2 to the foreground, positioning a specialty market to rival conventional food distribution in the U.S.
