Chicecream

Chicecream, launched in 2018 in Shanghai, prides itself on being an authentic Chinese ice cream brand. Its Chinese name, Zhngxugo, is a homophone for the Mandarin term for "Chinese ice cream" ( Zhongguo). Because the term "China" cannot be registered as a trademark, Lin devised a homophonic mash-up of three Chinese surnames, Gao, Xue, and Zhong, to reflect real Chinese identity.

The ice cream bar is designed in the style of a Chinese roof and includes the character (hu, "to return"). To appeal to a growing segment of the youthful population that is health concerned, Chicecream also markets its components as low-fat, low-sugar, and all-natural. The brand immediately gained popularity. In January 2019, sales reached 6 million yuan ($920K). Last month, the brand finalized a Series A finance round of 210 million yuan ($33 million). The firm has sold about 100 million ice cream cones to date and has amassed a following of 2.15 million on its main Tmall shop.

Lin Sheng, the brand's creator, is a 41-year-old history expert with an advertising background. Lin established his advertising firm in Shanghai after China's 2001 accession to the World Trade Organization. However, he discovered his interest in the trends-obsessed, online celebrity (wnghóng ) economy.

Founded: 2018

Headquarters: Shanghai

Revenue: $30.7M

Website: https://www.zhongxuegao.com/home/index