Simu Liu takes interest in Bay Area-based boba company after viral video

PALO ALTO, Calif. (KGO) -- A Bay Area-owned canned boba tea company may soon have a Hollywood star investor. It's all because of a viral moment that happened for a different boba company on a Canadian version of the show Shark Tank.

Sitting in front of a wall of boba at her home office in Palo Alto, Olivia Chen, co-founder of the brand "Twrl Milk Tea," has not slept more than a few hours, since the latest episode of "Dragons' Den" aired on the CBC Thursday night.

"We are here from Quebec City, and we're seeking $1 million in exchange for 18% of our business, Bobba," said Bobba co-owner Sebastian Fiset on the show.

The guest investor for Bobba's episode, Hollywood superstar Simu Liu, who took issue with the company and the way it's non-Asian founders presented a product that was created in Taiwan in the 1980s.

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"It's not an ethnical product anymore - we took the Asian version and made it with fruit and juice," said Sebastian.

Simu responded by calling the comment cultural appropriation, "There's an issue of taking something very distinctly Asian in it's identity and quote unquote making it better."

It wasn't just Simu who voiced concerns over the Canadian company's pitch.

"I'm Taiwanese American, and there were some comments that were inaccurate and didn't really sit well with me," she said.

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It didn't sit well with social media users either and the backlash prompted Olivia to make her own video about her Taiwanese and Chinese, women-founded brand.

"When we were growing up we couldn't find brands and products with founders who looked like us..." Olivia said in her TikTok. She continued on to say, "We're so grateful and applaud you for highlighting the cultural appropriation that's out there now."

Twrl only had about 300 followers on TikTok at the time. And Olivia didn't expect much to happen. But her post went viral, with users tagging Simu. That very day, while scrolling through the comments section she was stunned.

"We were like, oh wow, is this real? We've been working at this for 3.5 years, we've been ignored by investors. For a superstar like him on screen to comment and engage with regular folks like us - it's a real superhero moment for us."

The four word comment - with a heart emoji, was from Simu himself, asking Olivia to send him an investment pitch! She believes this possible infusion of funds - and star-power - would be incredible for her own brand, and the Asian American community as a whole.

"I want him to join us, we want to join him to continue this positive conversation. It's about celebrating culture and heritage," says Olivia who pointed to some of her product's limited edition cans, which show facts about boba, Taiwan and tea making.

Since the online firestorm, the Canadian boba company lost their $1 million investment offer from the Dragons and even issued an apology. Olivia sent her pitch deck off to Simu's team Tuesday and is keeping her fingers crossed.

"Simu, we really want you to join our cap table! We're just really grateful for this opportunity," says Olivia.

Watch interview with Twrl Milk Tea founder on ABC7's "Tasty Thursday."