Meet Betty Lu, a Singapore native, who has created a line of plant-based snacks, Confetti Snacks, that not only satisfy the craving for crunch and flavor but also deliver a nutritional punch. Confetti Snacks are the antithesis of greasy, fried potato chips and extruded corn snacks, yet they more than hold their own when put to the taste test.
The secret to Confetti Snacks’ success lies in their vibrant, colorful ingredients and a proprietary low-heat baking process that preserves the nutrients while delivering a satisfying crunch. Each bag is filled with a rainbow of okra, purple sweet potatoes, radishes, shiitake mushrooms, and more. Betty has also added global spices like green curry and teriyaki BBQ, reflecting her Singaporean heritage and the multicultural flavors that inspire her. But the innovation doesn’t stop there; Confetti Snacks also upcycles imperfect produce, reducing landfill waste and bringing more sustainable practices to the snack industry.
We had the opportunity to chat with Betty and dive into her journey, from her early days as a Singaporean entrepreneur to the rapid growth of Confetti Snacks, which has achieved an impressive 312% year-over-year growth since its inception.
Check out the full interview below.
What inspired you to create Confetti Snacks, and how does your Singaporean background influence the product?
Betty Lu: Singapore is a tiny island with fascinating cultures. Being from somewhere so small, I have always felt a curiosity to see more of the world. In 2015, I packed a small suitcase and embarked on a world trip that lasted almost 4 years. As an avid world traveler, I love exploring the outdoors. Be it hiking, paragliding, or scuba diving. I was experimenting on one of my mountain hikes in British Columbia, Canada, to create the “perfect snack” that is tasty, nutritious, and lightweight, so it’s lighter on my backpack.
I was also feeling pretty homesick for Singapore’s food. We have a pretty obsessive food culture in Lion City. It’s a marvelous melting pot of East meets West. I began baking colorful vegetable chips from my home kitchen in Canada using produce I found in the farmers’ markets, seasoning them with recipes from Singapore, and giving them out to neighbors and friends to try. They absolutely loved the delicious homemade batches of gourmet snacks I made and told me that they would buy them if it was in a supermarket. That gave me the confidence to cut my trip short and return to Singapore armed with a business plan to start Confetti Snacks.
Can you explain the significance of “eating more colorfully” and how it relates to nutrition?
Betty Lu: Each Confetti bag tears open to reveal a crunchy and nutritious low-starch mix of vegetables in authentic heritage flavors like Teriyaki BBQ, Thai Green Curry, Indian Tandoori, and Black Truffle.
Confetti, as its name implies, is all about celebrating color. ‘Eating the Colors of the rainbow’ is very beneficial because different colors of vegetables and fruit provide a different set of phyto-nutrients and vitamins.
Less than 12% of Americans get less than their recommended 5 servings of veggies per day. They simply don’t get enough vegetables in their diet and don’t have time to prepare nutritious meals due to their hectic schedules properly, so my aim was to make vegetables very tasty and provide a convenient way for people to get their vegetables on the go.
They’re popular at parties because they really liven up the table. We have supplied to the largest corporate pantries, like Netflix offices, Christmas parties, even the stock exchange. It is colorful goodness in a scrumptious crunchy indulgence.
What are some of the unique vegetables you use in your chips, and how do you source them?
Betty Lu: The succulent kaleidoscope of red radishes, orange carrots, purple sweet potatoes, fingers of green okra, and plump whole Shiitake mushrooms are a visual feast, and their natural flavors are elevated with these wonderful ethnic recipes that bring the palette to a culinary adventure.
We were the first in the USA to launch our upcycled mandarin chips, sourced from imperfect produce or crop surpluses in our fight against food waste. They are really crunchy and, like most citrus fruits, a rich source of naturally occurring vitamin C. Our fans love to sprinkle them with their frozen yogurt or granola in the morning.
How did you develop the global flavor profiles for your chips, and which one is your personal favorite?
Betty Lu: Our world-renowned chefs and food technologists are a testament to the fact that taste and nutrition can satisfy permissible indulgence in the form of a snack. We worked with chefs from different parts of the world. We wanted our recipes to stay true to their heritage roots, celebrate diversity, and elevate the natural flavors of Mother Nature.
It’s been fun bringing our consumers on a culinary adventure around the world and hitting a critical mass with large retailers like Walmart, Shell gas stations, and premium supermarket chains in seducing them into eating real slices of baked vegetables and fruit that are so much better for wellness, versus a standard deep fried potato chip.
It’s been fun watching kids fall in love with the colors of the rainbow and acquire a taste for plants from a young age. That’s how Confetti makes the most impact and difference: by making veggies so tasty that youths and children want to choose what’s healthier for them simply because it tastes better, is colorful, and is so much more fun to snack on.
My favorite one has to be the Teriyaki BBQ inspired by Japan. I love the Japanese culture and how refined they are in curating healthy and tasty meals. The flavor depth and complexity of the Teriyaki with umami and roasted spices really elevates traditional Japanese vegetables such as the plump crunchy okras and shiitake mushrooms that we use.
What challenges did you face in bringing a new, healthier snack option to a market dominated by traditional chips?
Betty Lu: It’s extremely challenging as a startup to vie for shelf space with brands that have dominated for decades and have billions of dollars in reserves. As a startup you are out-moneyed from day one, they have the scale, financial armpower, and sheer volumes that brings economies of scale to get a great low cost for consumers.
The only way to overcome that is to be fast and nimble and play the game they can’t. That means being innovative, launching adventurous flavors, having speed to market, and using exotic ingredients that they wouldn’t dream of launching without a three-year focus group study. As a startup, it’s like a David versus Goliath situation.
We win on being nimble, adaptive, and creative. That’s something mammoths in the old school can’t do, they try to be entrepreneurial and creative. However, the mindset of an MNC executive trying to climb the corporate ladder won’t take the kind of risks that a true entrepreneur would; they have too much to lose. That can certainly be worked to a startup’s advantage.
Can you elaborate on your upcycling process for imperfect produce and its impact on reducing food waste?
Betty Lu: Nearly a third of edible produce are discarded annually, that’s almost 2.8 trillion tons of food going to waste largely due to aesthetic reasons while nearly 9 million people die of starvation or malnutrition each year. If we can turn this imperfect produce into a fast-moving consumer good in the snack category, we can impact food waste and hunger on a much wider scale.
We source the majority of our ingredients by working with farms and co-operatives and integrating ourselves into the supply chain so we can efficiently procure veggies and fruit that would otherwise get discarded due to aesthetic reasons or a crop surplus. We have a strong network with the Upcycled Food Association of America, which further enhances our partnerships with entities that are passionate about fighting food waste and hunger.
What strategies have you employed to achieve your impressive 312% year-over-year growth?
Betty Lu: To be laser-focused on certain channels and consumer base and keep them happy. It’s better to go an inch wide and a mile deep, instead of trying to be everything to everyone. A strong brand knows who their consumers are, intimately. We strive to be in the right place, at the right time, to be seen by the right people who love snacks that are delicious, purpose-driven and sustainable. Our consumers are highly educated, well-traveled, and care about brands that are better for them and better for the planet. They are adventurous, have high disposable income, and are excited to taste world flavors.
It is all too important for brands to be seen in office pantries where they work, airports, gas stations, gourmet supermarkets where they grocery shop, and luxury hotels and resorts where they vacation. A brand needs to be visible and form an emotional connection with consumers. Choosing the right battles to fight for that piece of the consumer’s mind is important.
Confetti stands for color. We celebrate color in both the produce we use, and the colorful traditions that govern our recipes from around the world. It’s a colorful brand. Confetti owns that word and fulfills that expectation entirely by celebrating a vibrant mix of plants that delight our consumers.
As you expand into the U.S. market, what differences have you noticed between Singaporean and American snacking habits?
Betty Lu: That’s a very interesting question. Honestly, a lot less different than I imagine.
Americans are actually very well-traveled, especially in places like California, where I’m based, and New York City, where I used to reside. We initially thought our flavors would be too alienating and exotic for them when we launched in the US, but to our surprise, the brand was very well received. I think the fact that we go out of the way to astonish people with exotic vegetables and fruit and use very worldly flavors speaks to a lot of immigrants who live here.
America is the top economy in the world largely due to its diversity, immigrants who bring their own cultures to the USA and work extremely hard to make a living and thrive in this country. Immigrants are important to the USA, there are more than a hundred languages spoken in NYC alone. That kind of inclusion has been beneficial to Confetti as a brand that celebrates diversity. It becomes a unique selling proposition for us in this hyper competitive category.
Traditionally, 95% of snacks are dominated by nutritionally bankrupt potato chips and extruded corn puffs in conventional Western flavors. Confetti can add value by enhancing the snack assortment in supermarket aisles and showing that a colorful veggie or fruit snack can taste so much better than junk snacks yet is good for you and fun to munch on.
We are able to thrive in this entrepreneurial environment where people are risk-takers, creative, and accepting. You do whatever you want, there is a lot of creative freedom and space to be whoever you want to be here. That’s what I love most about America. There is a sense of freedom here, and it is rare in this world. I guess that’s why some of the most impactful brands started in the US. They embrace so much diversity, and they welcome risk-takers and creatives.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs looking to innovate in the food industry?
Betty Lu: Never settle or compromise. We took hundreds of rounds of experimentation to ensure the flavor profile, texture, mouthfeel, nutrition profile, and branding were spot on. It’s okay to be obsessive. In fact, you should be. It’s okay to do something a hundred times until it’s right. It’s okay to keep testing till you are happy and confident it’s gonna fly off the shelves the moment it hits. This is a brutal, ruthless industry that eats startups alive for breakfast. If you are not exceptional in every respect, you really shouldn’t be here.
Please invest all your money at the start with a team or a creative director who actually knows how to create a brand that appeals emotionally to consumers. I can’t stress this enough. The first moment of truth is when they scroll past a supermarket shelf, and you have nanoseconds to grab the consumer’s attention. If you can sell them with their eyes and spark the tiniest bit of curiosity for them to bring it home, you have already won half the battle.
How do you see Confetti Snacks evolving in the future? Are there any new flavors or products in development?
Betty Lu: We see Confetti as a global snack brand that epitomizes the celebration of color. We shall be introducing new authentic recipes that tell a story and are a piece of history of the chefs who curate our award-winning snacks. We’re experimenting with exotic vegetables and fruit, like miso baked eggplant slice, satay grilled mushroom chip, crunchy baby asparagus with cajun spice, are some savory ideas that can really celebrate minority cultures like African American Cajun recipes, and Singaporean flavors that you can’t really find anywhere else in a snack form.
We also intend to balance the palette by offering healthy snacks for people who have a sweet tooth. Our mandarin crunchy snacks have been a huge hit in Amsterdam, where we sold through 70% inventory within the first 2 weeks. We intend to launch more recipes with mandarins, and also experiment with other exotic fruit that can delight and astonish the consumer. We have an Egyptian-inspired snack named Queen’s Medley, which will launch later this year it is designed for Queen Cleopatra and what she would have loved if she was still alive. It would be a crunchy blend of figs, dragon fruit, and mandarin oranges.
The largest collaboration this year is with Disney. We have partnered with the world-famous icon Mickey Mouse to launch a line of family friend snacks so we can get millions of school children and parents to enjoy their colors of the rainbow and choose whole foods as a snack. It’s also our way of bringing the world closer together by celebrating our diverse culinary traditions. We are excited to have these in major grocery stores and schools throughout the US, Europe, UK, and Singapore by the first half of 2025.
As a female entrepreneur in the competitive snack food industry, what challenges have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
Betty Lu: I’m very grateful and lucky to have VCs, the Singapore government, and impact angels behind this company who do not care what gender, color, or race I am. Business is the greatest meritocracy in the world. The market speaks for itself with its wallet. Velocity happens when the product is exceptional and we spread love and happiness with our gourmet snacks.
We feel extremely privileged to have this wonderful opportunity to create fabulous snacks that can change the world for the better, in our fight against food waste and hunger. We are honored to have a space to speak to our consumers and make them think differently about vegetables and fruit and seduce them through taste. That creativity and being close to the consumer is gratifying and loads of fun.
We have a marvelous team with talents from around the world who bring their passion, hunger, and insights from different cultures. Our board and management are so diverse. To us, our differences are what make us strong, and being so hungry to succeed—that’s our edge. We really love sharing ideas and being inspired by our cultural differences.
It’s astonishing to realize that less than 3% of venture-backed companies go to women-founded startups. I am optimistic to see real changes in positive steps, with Confetti being backed by some of the best venture capital funds out there in the consumer space and angels who truly believe in making an impact.
The Singapore government was the first to write us a check to kickstart this company, create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), do a soft launch, and produce our first factory batch of inventory. Their committee of seasoned business people believed Confetti would scale into a global brand that we can be proud of and that this business model has merit. I don’t think being male or female made any difference to them.
I’m grateful for a government that believes in youth entrepreneurship, who has provided a world-class education, and instilled that with sheer talent and hard work. We can create something tangible in this world. From a tiny fishing village island to where we have become in a short period of time is a strong testament to what they believe in: Talent transcends age, color, race, and gender.
Lastly, is there a specific mantra, quote, or affirmation that you hold close to your heart?
Betty Lu: I absolutely love this quote. The best thing I can do for a dream is to simply take a leap of faith and begin it. Rather than analyzing it to death and sucking every bit of imagination and joy out of it. Children will never do that. They believe in their dreams, and they believe in the impossible. The world will be a lot better with more magic and less logic.
German poet and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said:
“Whatever you do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
Learn more about Confetti Snacks on their website here!
Published in Featured Articles, Featured Women, Health
Emily Sprinkle, also known as Emma Loggins, is a designer, marketer, blogger, and speaker. She is the Editor-In-Chief for Women's Business Daily where she pulls from her experience as the CEO and Director of Strategy for Excite Creative Studios, where she specializes in web development, UI/UX design, social media marketing, and overall strategy for her clients.
Emily has also written for CNN, Autotrader, The Guardian, and is also the Editor-In-Chief for the geek lifestyle site FanBolt.com
