How Vivien Wong Turned Little Moons Into A $66M Mochi Empire

Forbes

19-05-2025

Vivien Wong of Little Moons
Vivien Wong didn't set out to become a category creator. She wasn't chasing fame or funding when she co-founded Little Moons with her brother in 2010—just an idea that ice cream, when wrapped in pillowy mochi, might just taste better than anything else on the market.
Over the next decade, that quiet conviction built into a global brand stocked in 34 countries, with revenues climbing from £10 million [$13.3 million] to £50 million [$66.7 million] in a two-year timeframe alone. This year, it also earned her a nomination for the coveted Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award—recognition not just for breaking into the freezer aisle, but for reshaping it.
But Wong's path into food was far from linear. 'I studied Economics at the University of Reading before starting my career at Barclays, where I qualified as a chartered accountant,' she says. While her early career was firmly corporate, the seed of entrepreneurship had been planted long before. 'My parents, first-generation immigrants from Asia, were a huge inspiration,' Wong continues. 'In 1990, they opened a successful Asian bakery in North London and—although my mother encouraged me to forge my own path—from a young age, I admired the sense of purpose and satisfaction that came with building something from the ground up.'
Food was always in the picture, but it wasn't until a decade ago that the siblings began actively exploring what a family business of their own might look like.
They noticed a shift in the way people in the UK were consuming Japanese cuisine: the savoury dishes were evolving, but dessert felt like an afterthought at the time. 'We had always loved the traditional Japanese mochi our parents made with red bean paste, and on our travels in Japan and the U.S., we discovered mochi filled with ice cream,' she says. 'That was the 'aha' moment: what if we gave mochi a modern British twist by using ice cream as the filling?'
Little Moons ice cream mochi
That simple twist—a fusion of childhood nostalgia and global curiosity—became the foundation for Little Moons. But the process was anything but simple. There were no machines for making mochi at scale in the UK. No freezer-snack category to plug into. 'We spent two years developing the product, with no existing machinery to rely on,' she says. 'Every milestone felt massive: hiring our first employee, securing our first restaurant listing, developing retail packaging.'
Of course, that incremental approach paid off. The product landed first with chefs and restaurants, later with retailers, and, come 2021, everything changed—not through traditional advertising or investor backing, but via TikTok.
What started as a few users posting 'Little Moons hunts' in supermarket aisles quickly became a viral movement. '#littlemoons reached over 500 million views,' Wong says. 'That viral moment accelerated our growth, drove new listings, and turned us into a global brand.'
Behind the scenes, it was chaos. 'Overnight, demand surged by 1000%, but pandemic restrictions limited our ability to scale production. We faced a global shortage of packaging materials, supply chain delays, and staffing challenges.'
Even as the business ballooned, Wong and her team kept production in-house and scrambled to maintain culture during a period of explosive growth. 'Our team tripled in size almost instantly… but we pulled through and grew revenue from £10 million [$13.3 million] to £50 million [$66.7 million] in just two years, still producing everything in-house.'
That decision—to build slowly, to maintain control—has com to define the way Little Moons approaches growth. The company was self-funded for many years, only taking on external investment in 2022. 'We only brought in external investment once we had a clear vision for the next phase of growth,' Wong explains.
Little Moons products
Today, the company is no longer just synonymous with mochi ice cream. It has expanded into new formats—including Cheesecakes and Refreshos, ice cream mochis' sorbet-packed sister—and helped define a new consumer habit. 'Now, when people reach into the freezer for a bite-sized mochi instead of a chocolate bar or biscuit, that's a real mark of how far we've come.'
But introducing something new, she points out, doesn't happen overnight. 'That's what people often misunderstand about innovation in food—that it takes time. A lot of time. From product development to consumer adoption, innovation doesn't happen overnight. We introduced something entirely new—a different product, a new format, and an entirely new way of thinking about frozen snacks. It took 12 years of consistent effort to build Little Moons into a category leader, success doesn't happen overnight, but your moment could!'
That slow, strategic approach also helped Little Moons achieve B Corp certification in 2023. 'It reflects our commitment to creating 'little lifts, crafted without compromise' for our global fanbase,' Wong says. 'B Corp standards guide us as we work to reduce our carbon footprint, improve ingredient sourcing, and empower our employees. It's not just a certification—it's a roadmap for sustainable growth.'
As the brand scales, so too has Wong's definition of boldness. 'In the early days, boldness meant believing in your vision, even when others didn't,' she says. 'We were told repeatedly that people wouldn't understand mochi. But we saw early signs of success and kept building on them.' These days, boldness looks more like leadership: trusting others, hiring well, stepping back when needed. 'Being bold also meant instilling that belief in our small team
'Now, I see boldness in using my experience to mentor other founders and contribute beyond Little Moons.'
Personally, Wong's next chapter includes carving out space to tell that story more openly. 'Looking ahead, I feel a growing sense of purpose in sharing more of my journey — not for recognition, but in the hope that it might resonate with and encourage other women who are considering an entrepreneurial path,' she says. 'You can't be what you can't see.'
Vivien and Howard Wong, founders of Little Moons