Song Xuan, the former vice president of Xibei, has reportedly embarked on a new entrepreneurial journey, establishing a fresh company named Upward Tree (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. This development came to light through midday reports on September 7th. According to business registration data from Tianyancha, Upward Tree was incorporated in January of this year, with Song Xuan holding a 51% stake through his wholly-owned entity. The second-largest shareholder is Yi Tao, a former vice president of the startup accelerator Heima, who owns a 25% interest.
The new project, dubbed "Spoon AI," is positioned as a super AI assistant tailored for restaurant professionals. Sources indicate that it has already launched approximately 25 industry expert modules, covering critical functions such as operational analysis, intelligent ordering, efficient scheduling, menu engineering, and competitor and trade area assessments. These tools are designed to streamline decision-making and optimize daily workflows for food service operators.
Song Xuan's career trajectory is notable for its breadth and depth in the culinary sector. He began in media, holding positions at outlets like Sohu before founding the restaurant-focused vertical media platform "Manager's Tips" in 2014. By 2016, he established the vocational education hub "Spoon Classroom," and over the subsequent two years, he secured a combined 55 million yuan in funding from prominent backers, including Jia Guolong, the founder of Xibei; Liu Jingjing of Jiaheyipin; Li Mingyuan, a former McDonald's Asia-Pacific vice president; and several investment institutions.
In 2022, Song Xuan transitioned to a corporate role, joining Xibei as vice president with oversight of external communications, public relations, quality takeout services, and local life businesses. His tenure coincided with a turbulent period last September when controversy erupted over Xibei's pre-cooked dishes. By January of this year, Song Xuan had departed from the company. Reflecting on his exit, Jia Guolong publicly noted on social media that Song Xuan bore unfair criticism during the public relations fallout of that incident, asserting that all final decisions were his own and not attributable to Song Xuan or the consultancy partner. Jia emphasized Song Xuan's value as a dedicated employee and a good person, citing personal career growth as the reason for the departure.
Jia Guolong also affirmed his continued backing, stating that he had previously invested in Song Xuan's ventures and would support them going forward. In response, Song Xuan shared Jia's remarks, expressing deep gratitude for a decade of support from Xibei and Jia personally. He highlighted the resilience of the entire Xibei team during those 100 days, emphasizing genuine reform, sincere price adjustments, real salary increases, and unwavering efforts by the brand to present an authentic image. He closed with a heartfelt declaration: "I love Xibei and I love Jia Guolong. I am still on the front lines, and I will always be a Xibei person."