In 2013, a Malaysian couple was burnt out from their jobs. So, they decided to start their own business.

And last year, that business brought in $7.6M in revenue, was valued at $21M, and sold a 65% stake for $17.5M. This is the story of Inside Scoop.

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🔥 The beginning

Edmund Tan and Lim Shew Li started Inside Scoop with a simple idea: to make delicious ice cream for Malaysians.

Shiew Li loves ice cream, and they saw a gap in the market for brick and mortar artisanal ice cream shops in Malaysia.

Since they weren't experts, Shiew Li attended Gelato University in Italy to learn how to make ice cream.

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⭐️ The debut

Their first shop opened in Bangsar, Malaysia, and people loved it!

What made them special? They had flavors like Durian and Valrhona Chocolate that got everyone talking. Inside Scoop became known for its locally made ice cream that suited the Malaysian taste.

As they grew, they opened even more shops. They also added buttermilk waffles and more uniquely local flavors like Cempedak, Bandung, Kopi Peng, Teh Tarik, Salted Gula Melaka, and Cendol.

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🧠 Standing out

But it wasn’t easy. There are tons of different ice cream brands!

So, Inside Scoop had to find ways to get people excited about their ice cream, so they invited regular customers as “flavor enthusiasts,” to enjoy special tastings of their unique ice cream flavors.

They even held special events like ice cream buffets and offering free dates with ice cream during Ramadan, and celebrating their business milestones with complimentary treats.

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🌏 Going international

Scaling. Inside Scoop's success led to expansion of over 40 stores across Malaysia, and 1 store in Singapore in 8 years.

And just last year, Inside Scoop sold a 65% stake to Malaysian dairy products provider Farm Fresh, for MYR 84M ($17.5M).

Now, Edmund continues to drive Inside Scoop which is now under Farm Fresh’s ice cream division, and intends to continue expanding their stores and flavors in Malaysia and potentially expand to the Philippines and Indonesia.