Hey! Food Is Ready’s Growth Story: The Role of a Strategic Tech Partner

Building a successful startup takes more than just a great idea—it requires the right support, strategic guidance, and a partner who truly understands your vision. This is the story of Hey! Food Is Ready, an inspiring food-tech startup that transformed from a simple idea into a thriving business with the support of Activate Studio.

Meet Hey! Food Is Ready

Founded by Yuru Guo, Hey! Food Is Ready is an online marketplace connecting independent chefs from diverse cultural backgrounds with corporate clients seeking authentic, high-quality catering options.

Their mission is simple yet powerful: to break away from uninspiring corporate buffets and offer diverse, cultural dining experiences that bring people together.

• For chefs: The platform offers a way to showcase cultural heritage and generate meaningful income.

• For companies: It provides a way to create inclusive, memorable dining experiences for employees and clients.

Whether it’s a team lunch or a corporate celebration, Hey! Food Is Ready ensures every meal tells a story.

Yuru’s Journey as a Founder

Yuru’s entrepreneurial journey began during her master’s studies in Management Entrepreneurship at Durham University. Inspired by potluck dinners with friends from diverse backgrounds, she realised the power of food to foster meaningful connections.

Her work with the UN Refugee Agency deepened this vision, inspiring her to create opportunities for refugees, immigrants, and parents passionate about cooking but without a platform to monetise their skills.

Despite her passion, Yuru faced unique challenges as a young, female, foreign founder in the UK. From navigating cultural differences to finding the right partners, she had to overcome significant barriers.

Overcoming Challenges with Activate Studio

In the early days, Yuru struggled with:

1. Technical Development: Finding a partner who understood her vision was a hurdle.

2. Market Expansion: Scaling beyond Newcastle required resources and a clear strategy.

3. Funding: Navigating the fundraising landscape as a first-time founder was challenging.

Recognising the potential in Yuru’s vision, Activate Studio stepped in as a strategic partner. As part of a £50,000 investment, we advanced £10,000 at our own risk to fund key early-stage activities like user research, market analysis, and structured design tests. This funding enabled Yuru to validate her idea and build a minimum viable product (MVP) to demonstrate early traction.

By taking this calculated risk, Activate Studio provided Yuru with the foundation to start scaling her business and attract initial customers, while continuing to support her journey toward securing her seed round.

How Activate Studio Helped

Activate Studio became more than a service provider; they became true partners. Their support included:

• Strategic Design Sessions: Refining the business model and identifying core features to automate.

• Customer-Centric Development: Aligning tech decisions with Hey! Food Is Ready’s customer needs.

• Ongoing Support: Providing a clear product roadmap and ensuring the platform could scale with the business.

With Activate’s expertise, Yuru was able to focus on growth and expansion while dedicating her efforts to securing investment, confident that her tech foundation was in capable hands.

Achievements and the Road Ahead

Since partnering with Activate Studio, Hey! Food Is Ready has reached major milestones:

• Expanded operations in Newcastle, Durham and London.

• Partnered with over 70 corporate clients, including Google, Barclays, and Condé Nast.

• Onboarded 125+ chefs, with 150 more on the waiting list.

• Successfully delivered over 100 events in the past year.

With her MVP successfully launched and early traction established, Yuru is now looking to close her seed round to fully develop the platform and scale operations further. This funding will allow her to enhance user experience, introduce advanced features, and expand into new markets across the UK and Europe.

Are You Ready to Transform Your Startup?

Hey! Food Is Ready is proof that having the right tech partner can change the game.

If you’re an early-stage founder with a digital product idea or a growing business in need of scalable tech solutions, Activate Studio can help.

With expert design, development, and strategic support, we’re here to turn your vision into reality.