For life partners Denise Caranto and Tricia Epilepsia, food has always been an essential part of travel.
Whether exploring local flavors or international snack aisles, they found joy in discovering unique treats—something they felt was missing in the local market.
That insight sparked the creation of Konu in 2021, right in the midst of the pandemic.
Both avid snackers, Denise and Tricia spent hours browsing grocery aisles abroad, particularly in Japan, marveling at the variety of options. Meanwhile, the local market remained limited to biscuits, wafers, and cookies.
“We wanted to bring that same excitement here, but importing was too costly for a small business like ours,” Caranto said.
At that time, both founders were still working corporate jobs; thus, importing high-minimum-order products wasn’t feasible. Instead, they sought a snack format they could produce themselves from their own kitchen.
A Fresh Take on Snacking
Inspired by international finds, both co-owners agreed to launch a chocolate-filled cone snack. The goal was to introduce something different yet familiar—exciting enough to spark curiosity while remaining accessible. Over time, they expanded to a ready-to-eat chocolate-glazed cereal snack, that went viral on line.
The pandemic provided the perfect opportunity to experiment. While others turned to gardening, Epilepisa and Caranto, were busy perfecting chocolate recipes.
Konu’s breakthrough came through TikTok. The platform’s affiliate selling system allowed users to promote and sell their products, generating massive organic reach without costly endorsements.
“We launched during the mukbang trend, and people were eager to showcase our snacks,” they recalled. Viral videos racked up millions of views, skyrocketing brand awareness.
But virality came with challenges. “Overnight, our demand shot up 1,000 timwes. We had to scale fast—expanding from a five-person team to 20 in days, then to 80 employees,” Epilepsia said.
To keep up, they expanded to a 600-square-meter production facility in Pasig, investing in machines to automate their production for improved efficiency.
Staying Ahead in a Fast-Paced Market
While expanding, the couple realized that staying relevant is important to keep up with trends.
“TikTok trends shift fast. If you go viral today, you could be forgotten tomorrow. You always need to be two steps ahead—whether through new campaigns, fresh content, or innovative products. I believe it isn’t exclusive to TikTok platform alone. But, in businesses in general, there’s a constant struggle to remain relevant,” Caranto noted.
Live selling became another crucial strategy. Initially hesitant, they quickly saw its impact. “Before, we only did pre-recorded videos. Now, live selling runs 24/7, keeping us engaged with customers,” Epilepsia shared.
Looking Ahead: Innovation and Growth
As Konu continues to expand, the team is focused on launching new snack formats that are both crave-worthy and visually exciting.
“We have several products in the pipeline for Q1 and Q2 this year. We want to recreate our success while ensuring customers genuinely enjoy our snacks,” both said.
Their continuing story is filled with milestones, but one moment stands out. A viral TikTok video started from a simple customer comment:
“A buyer said, ‘This is so good. Whoever invented this product, I hope you live a long life!’ That became our first viral clip. Since then, people keep telling us how much they love our snacks and how Konu has changed their lives,” Caranto recalled.
“We found out recently that some of our resellers used their earnings, partly from Konu and other products, to graduate from college. Knowing our business is making a difference—it’s incredibly heartwarming,” Epilepsia said.
Seeing how their products impact people’s lives inspires Epilepsia and Caranto to stay driven and innovative.