Kim Teo: The Visionary Behind Mr Yum
Kim Teo, Co-Founder and CEO of Mr Yum has redefined customer experience by pioneering how restaurants, bars, and cafes operate globally. Through her incredible entrepreneurial spirit and with a background steeped in technology and business, Kim has transformed an idea into one of the leading platforms in the digital ordering and payment sector. From improving customer experiences in restaurants to driving innovation in hospitality management software, Kim’s work combines analytical prowess and creative ingenuity.
Education and Early Career
Kim built her fascinating career on a solid academic background. Graduating from Monash University with degrees in Economics and Biomedical Science, she developed the unique combination of analytical and scientific thinking that can be seen in her innovative business strategies today.
Her career didn’t start in hospitality tech—far from it. One of Kim’s early ventures was Simply Borrowed, a bridesmaid dress rental service. Though it only ran for a year, it was later acquired, setting the tone for many of Kim’s future successes. This entrepreneurial start laid the groundwork for her problem-solving mindset that would define her approach to business.
Subsequent roles, like co-founding the startup incubator Pitch Blak, allowed her to mentor budding entrepreneurs while honing her expertise in navigating business challenges.
The Genesis of Mr Yum — Transforming an Industry
Before becoming the CEO of Mr Yum, Kim Teo saw an opportunity for innovation within outdated restaurant infrastructure. Menus were just plain text, and restaurant operations often involved long wait times and inefficiencies. Along with her co-founders, Kim introduced visual menus via QR codes. This was Mr Yum’s inception in 2018.
However, the platform grew into much more—a global mobile payments and ordering solution offering tools for loyalty programmes, marketing, and customer insights. The business impact? Restaurants and bars experienced reduced operational friction and increased customer satisfaction. Just six months after its inception in 2018, Mr Yum secured £1.5 million in seed funding, marking an early milestone in its journey to revolutionise the hospitality industry.
Under Kim’s leadership, Mr Yum’s transformation became even more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the hospitality sector urgently needed tools to survive. The company quickly scaled from being an Australia-based startup to establishing a global footprint covering the US, UK, and beyond.
Unprecedented Growth Under Kim’s Leadership
Record-Breaking Series A Funding
One of Mr Yum’s most notable milestones came in 2021 when the company secured a $65 million USD Series A funding round, breaking records as Australia’s largest Series A round for a female-led company. Investors included Tiger Global, Skip Capital, AirTree, and even Grammy-winning artists like Rüfüs Du Sol.
Kim Teo remarked during the funding announcement, “This capital enables us to triple down on product innovation while propelling our global expansion in the US, UK, and Australia.”
Key International Markets
By 2021, Mr Yum had more than 13 million users and operated in over 1,500 venues globally. The platform was especially well-received in cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, with venues like Sahara Las Vegas and Magic Mike Live adopting its services for seamless in-seat ordering and ticket integration.
Kim’s leadership also brought innovative solutions to the UK amidst competition. The company achieved rapid growth and earned accolades, including being named 4th on LinkedIn Australia’s Top Startups list.
The Merger with Me&u
Despite its rapid success, Kim and her team never stopped evolving. Fast forward to 2023, Mr Yum merged with me&u, another major player in the ordering and payment space. Now at the helm of the merged entity as CEO, Kim is overseeing a new chapter of growth. Together, Mr Yum and me&u are combining strengths to offer enhanced features like CRM tools, loyalty programs, and data-driven marketing insights tailored to hospitality brands.
Under her leadership, me&u is empowering over 6,000 businesses to boost revenue and provide seamless guest experiences. Notable clients include bars, restaurants, and venues across Australia, the UK, and the US.
Kim’s forward-thinking vision continues to place her companies ahead of the curve, cementing their role in reshaping the hospitality industry with cutting-edge technology.
The Backbone of Mr Yum—Cultural Values
Kim Teo not only excels at spearheading business innovation but also focuses deeply on building a meaningful workplace culture. She co-establishes the company’s core values and mantras, which include:
- Run Towards the Fire — Tackling challenges head-on.
- Here to Serve — Echoing empathy and hospitality excellence.
- Numbers Over Hype — Encouraging data-focused decision-making.
- Think 10x — Empowering big, bold ideas.
Kim often says, “Company values are not just posters on a wall—they help define decision-making at every level.”
This commitment to culture paid off when Mr Yum expanded internationally, with teams spread across Australia, the US, Europe, and beyond. Kim invested early in fostering strong peer recognition systems, a no-questions-asked mental health policy, and flexible remote-working arrangements. Such priorities ensure that the team environment grows just as robustly as the product.
Key Leadership Lessons:
- Invest in Values Early: Recognizing the importance of strong company values, Kim emphasized aligning her team around core mantras to make collective decisions easier.
- Hire Great Leaders: “There’s no shortcut to finding amazing leaders,” Kim has often said. Her approach to scaling her team ensures every hire contributes positively to the broader company culture.
- Communicate Constantly: Kim believes in transparency—sharing clear goals frequently and ensuring every team member knows not only what the company is doing but why certain paths are chosen.
- Trust Your Team: With a flexible, remote-friendly work environment, Kim places trust in her team’s abilities, allowing them to thrive independently.
She reflects her people-first approach through initiatives like mental health support and peer-to-peer recognition, fostering a supportive work environment, even during the pandemic.
Why Kim Teo Stands Out
Kim’s achievements extend beyond financial milestones and rapid expansion. Her drive to improve customer experiences and elevate businesses through technology has left a lasting mark on the restaurant and hospitality industries.
Kim Teo’s entrepreneurial mindset and drive for innovation indicate that she’s not slowing down any time soon. With me&u’s emerging solutions consolidating the hospitality tech space, the industry may be witnessing the birth of the “Shopify for restaurants” under Kim’s direct guidance.
Source
YouTube – Startups going global with Kim Teo (CEO & Co-Founder, Mr Yum)
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