Founder Spotlight: Shilpa Rathi of It's Moong
Meet Shilpa Rathi
Every product in the It’s Moong catalog starts with the same bean. Sprouted moong shows up as protein powder, as instant soup, and as an overnight breakfast cereal in flavors like Almond Kulfi and Tiramisu, which is a lot of ground for one bean to cover. Shilpa Rathi launched the brand in October 2024 out of a Mumbai company that began in skin and health care, and she is based in San Diego.
Company:
It’s Moong
It’s Moong is a food innovation brand transforming sprouted mung beans (lentils) into modern, high-protein, high-fiber foods for the world.
Location:
San Diego
When did you launch the business?
October 2024
Startup Stage?
Bootstrapped
How did this business start?
It wasn’t one defining moment, but a realization that grew over time—from building a nutrition-led beauty brand to exploring what truly supports us from within. As a vegetarian and fitness-conscious individual, I wanted a protein that was clean, easy to digest, and naturally aligned with the body, which led me to moong—an ingredient deeply rooted in India yet overlooked as a modern protein source. That’s when I knew I didn’t want to create just another protein brand, but bring forward a familiar, plant-based protein with global potential.
What’s one thing you’re proudest of so far?
We started It’s Moong in late October and have been building it from just a protein powder brand to developing foods which are naturally high in protein and globally accepted.
I think what I’m proudest of is that we didn’t take the easy route. We also achieved the revenue we’d originally planned to reach after the end of 1 year, in just six months. That gave us confidence that consumers were ready for something genuinely different.
What’s been the most surprising or challenging part of building this business?
I think the most surprising part has been how easily the concept has been accepted—not just in India, where mung bean is already a staple, but even in Western markets.
I initially thought we’d have to spend years convincing people. But what I found was that once people understood the basic science behind lentils—their nutritional value, digestibility, and the fact that mung bean is a naturally clean source of protein—they got it almost immediately.
That was incredibly encouraging because it showed me that consumers aren’t necessarily looking for familiar ingredients. They’re looking for better ingredients with a story that makes sense.
That gave me a lot of confidence that mung bean has the potential to become a truly global food category.
What do you bring to this community, and what are you hoping to find?
I bring with me a dedicated R&D team and research facility that’s constantly exploring unique ingredients and solving real food challenges. I’m looking to partner with distributors, stockists, and like-minded collaborators who want to help build and popularize It’s Moong across the U.S.
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
My ability to question and now follow the obvious. Also the fact that I am the sole founder and have been able to build the business to where it is.
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