From Tinder Match to $650K Cake Empire

When Kai Yang Chan and Jiayi Zhou matched on Tinder at age 19, marriage and business partnership seemed unlikely. Yet six years later, the couple is proving that their contrasting personalities complement each other perfectly. Today, they co-own CakeInspiration, a Singapore-based bakery that brought in over 850,000 Singapore dollars (approximately $650,000) in 2024. The company specializes in custom cake designs and serves an impressive clientele that includes family offices, hospitals, and global celebrities.

Saving a Family Legacy

Zhou took over her parents’ home-based bakery in 2020 when the pandemic threatened to shut down the business they had built for over a decade. Rather than let it disappear, she joined full-time and expanded the product range significantly. She introduced two new brands: Eggyi.Co, which offers bento cakes for Gen-Z consumers, and Petissier, specializing in customized cakes for pets. Prices now range from $100 to $10,000 per order, with a staff of 14 people operating across two specialized kitchens.

Strategic Growth Through Celebrity Marketing

Chan joined the business full-time in 2022 with a fresh perspective. He shifted focus toward B2B sales for consistent revenue and built a strong online presence through strategic celebrity marketing. A pivotal moment came when he hand-delivered a surprise cake to the Ha Sisters, Korean-American content creators visiting Singapore. The sisters’ social media post reached over 500,000 views, launching the company’s celebrity strategy. Since then, CakeInspiration has delivered custom cakes to K-Pop star Lisa, Russell Simmons, and G-Dragon.

The couple attributes their success to clearly defined roles: Chan handles external partnerships and marketing while Zhou manages daily operations. Their complementary strengths and mutual trust prove that working with your partner can be an unexpected business advantage.