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Amazon for Vegans
Key people at Mylk Guys.
Mylk Guys was founded in 2018 by Gaurav Maken (Founder) and Jinesh Shah (Founder).
We are a national vegan specialty store. Starting with food, we are expanding to other categories like beauty, healthcare, home goods etc.
We use data to predict which products will succeed (and launch them exclusively)
Key people at Mylk Guys.
Mylk Guys was an online vegan specialty grocery store aiming to be the "Amazon for vegans," offering a wide selection of vegan products including food, beauty, healthcare, and home goods. Founded in 2018, it served both vegans and non-vegans interested in sustainable, plant-based consumption, with about 40% of its customers not strictly vegan. The platform provided over 1,300 curated products such as vegan cheeses, jerkies, and plant-based burgers, focusing on making vegan eating accessible and convenient nationwide. It also offered brands valuable customer data analytics to help them grow. The company sought to expand distribution and marketing, especially on the U.S. East Coast, and fostered a community around sustainable food choices[1][2][6].
Mylk Guys was founded in 2018 by Gaurav Maken, who brought experience from Amazon and Instacart. The idea emerged from recognizing the fragmented and inefficient distribution system for plant-based products and the difficulty consumers faced in finding a comprehensive, reliable source for vegan groceries. Early traction included participation in the Y Combinator accelerator and raising $2.5 million from investors like Khosla Ventures and Pear Ventures. The company quickly positioned itself as a national online store with a mission to simplify plant-based eating and promote sustainability[1][3][6].
Mylk Guys rode the growing trend of plant-based diets and sustainable consumption, capitalizing on increasing consumer demand for ethical and environmentally friendly products. The timing was favorable due to rising awareness of climate change and health concerns linked to animal agriculture. By creating a specialized e-commerce platform, Mylk Guys addressed the fragmented distribution system in the vegan market, enabling smaller brands to scale nationally. This model contributed to the broader ecosystem by supporting innovation in sustainable food and providing a data-driven platform for emerging brands[1][3][5].
Despite setting a new standard for national access to vegan products, Mylk Guys officially shut down, indicating challenges in sustaining the business long-term. Future trends shaping this space include continued growth in plant-based consumption, advances in cultured and genetically engineered foods, and increasing consumer demand for transparency and sustainability. Platforms like Mylk Guys highlight the potential for specialized e-commerce to transform niche markets, but also the operational and competitive challenges involved. The legacy of Mylk Guys may influence future ventures aiming to unify sustainable food distribution with tech-enabled consumer insights[1][7].
Mylk Guys was founded in 2018 by Gaurav Maken (Founder) and Jinesh Shah (Founder).
