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Chowbus is a technology company specializing in restaurant services, originally established as an online food ordering, payment, and delivery platform.[1] It was founded in Chicago, United States in 2016 by Linxin Wen and Suyu Zhang. The company initially focused on improving access to Asian restaurants on digital platforms. Over time, Chowbus expanded its services beyond delivery, venturing into software for restaurants, including a cloud-based point of sale (POS) system.[2] The company has since evolved into a SaaS and AI-driven platform supporting restaurant operations and services across the United States and Canada.

History

Chowbus was conceived from the experiences of co-founder Linxin Wen, who, upon moving to the U.S., realized the difficulty of finding genuine Asian restaurants on existing delivery platforms and the high costs associated with their delivery services.[3] Inspired by this challenge, Wen, along with Suyu Zhang, launched Chowbus in 2016 to support these restaurants by providing a dedicated platform.[4]

Starting with a focus on delivery, Chowbus soon extended its reach to over 20 cities across North America, Canada, and Australia, featuring menus in multiple languages including Mandarin and Cantonese. The platform offered a selection of Asian cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Indian.[5] By 2022, alongside its successful delivery model, Chowbus expanded into the software as a service (SaaS) market, introducing restaurant management software and POS services. This shift aimed to support especially those restaurant owners new to the country, helping them with technological and marketing needs.[6]

On January 25, 2024, Chowbus sold its food delivery service to Fantuan Delivery.[7] The existing Chowbus app was discontinued and service was migrated to Fantuan. The remaining parts of the Chowbus company have since shifted its focus toward the development and enhancement of its SaaS and POS services for restaurants.[8]

Funding

Chowbus has raised multiple rounds of venture funding since its founding.

The company raised a $4 million seed round led by Greycroft Partners and FJ Labs.[9] In July 2020, Chowbus secured a $33 million Series A funding round, followed by an additional $30 million from existing investors in October of the same year.[10]

In August 2023, Chowbus raised $40 million in a funding round that included Prysm Capital, FJ Labs, and Celtic House Asia Partners.[11][12]

In 2026, Chowbus raised $81 million in a Series E funding round led by Prysm Capital and Left Lane Capital, with participation from Dutchess, Fika, and Avid Bank.[13]

Recognition

In recognition of its rapid growth and impact, Chowbus was listed in the Marketplace 100 by Andreessen Horowitz in February 2020.[14] Ranking No. 78, Chowbus was highlighted as one of the largest and fastest-growing consumer-facing marketplace startups in the U.S., and it stood out as one of only 13 companies from the Midwest featured in this prestigious list, including seven from Chicago.[15]

References

  1. ^ Dallke, Jim (October 14, 2020). “Asian food delivery startup Chowbus raises another $30M”. Bizjournals.
  2. ^ Ellichipuram, Umesh (2024-01-25). “Fantuan acquires Chowbus food delivery business”. Verdict Food Service. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  3. ^ Clark, Kate (2019-01-24). “Asian food delivery startup Chowbus raises $4M”. TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  4. ^ fodnews (2021-09-20). “Linxin Wen | CEO, Chowbus”. Food On Demand. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  5. ^ Hall, Christine (2024-01-24). “Fantuan acquires Chowbus’ food delivery business”. TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  6. ^ “Fantuan Acquires Chowbus Delivery Business Line, Paving the Way for a Dynamic Strategic Alliance in North American Food Scene”. Yahoo Finance. 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  7. ^ Hall, Christine (2024-01-24). “Fantuan acquires Chowbus’ food delivery business”. TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  8. ^ Ellichipuram, Umesh (2024-01-25). “Fantuan acquires Chowbus food delivery business”. Verdict Food Service. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  9. ^ Clark, Kate (2019-01-24). “Asian food delivery startup Chowbus raises $4M”. TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  10. ^ Dallke, Jim (14 October 2020). “Asian food delivery startup Chowbus raises another $30M”. bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  11. ^ Fantuan. “Fantuan Acquires Chowbus Delivery Business Line, Paving the Way for a Dynamic Strategic Alliance in North American Food Scene”. www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  12. ^ “Chowbus完成两轮4000万美元融资，面向美国市场提供餐饮管理及POS业务”. 36氪出海 (in Chinese). 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  13. ^ “Chowbus Raises $81M to Become the Operating System for Culturally Rooted Restaurants”. PRNewswire. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
  14. ^ “Marketplace 100 2020 Edition”. Andreessen Horowitz. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  15. ^ Engel, Liz. “Chowbus, The Delivery App For ‘Mom And Pop’ Asian Restaurants, Just Raised $33 Million. So What’s Next?”. Forbes. Retrieved 2024-05-06.