A Family Legacy,
Two Generations, One Mission
Thryve Superfoods was born from a family's decades-long relationship with Taiwan's most extraordinary functional mushroom — and a daughter's determination to share it with the world.
Scarlett Ho
A modern visionary and the face of Thryve's mission, Scarlett is an athletic, globally-minded leader who brings ambition and vitality to everything she does. A mechanical engineer by training with a master's in materials science, she built a distinguished career in the tech industry — rising to Senior Principal Product Development Manager at Dell and leading international teams across Taiwan, the US, and Singapore. A 2022 Taipei Women In Tech Honoree and UC Berkeley visiting scholar, Scarlett is also a passionate advocate for women in STEM.
But her deepest calling has always been rooted in family. Growing up in Taiwan, she watched her father — Master Hsu Ming-Te, a respected scientist and researcher — dedicate his career to understanding the healing properties of Antrodia cinnamomea. She saw firsthand how this rare mushroom transformed the health of patients who had exhausted conventional options.
"My father would come home and tell me about patients whose liver function had improved, whose immune markers had changed, whose energy had returned," Scarlett recalls. "He believed deeply in this mushroom. And I believed in him."
When Scarlett came to North America — first as a Berkeley-Taiwan Biomedical Fellow to study the business side of biomedical engineering — she was struck by how inaccessible this healing tradition was to people outside Taiwan. The Antrodia cinnamomea products available in the West were either low-quality, poorly extracted, or simply non-existent. She knew she had to change that.
Thryve Superfoods is the result of decades of work — building relationships with Taiwan's most respected cultivation facilities, developing proprietary extraction processes, and ensuring that every product meets the same rigorous research-grade standards her father championed throughout his career.
"This mushroom changed lives in Taiwan for generations. My mission is to make sure it can change lives in North America too."
— Scarlett Ho, Founder & CEO
Master Hsu Ming-Te
Master Hsu Ming-Te has spent three decades studying Antrodia cinnamomea in clinical and research settings across Taiwan. A man of deep respect for nature and slow mastery, he has dedicated his career to understanding the healing properties of this extraordinary mushroom. His work contributed to the body of evidence that led to the mushroom's inclusion in Taiwan's government-backed immunity research program and its recognition as the country's premier CNS16152-certified functional mushroom.
As Thryve's scientific advisor, Master Hsu Ming-Te oversees the quality standards for every product — ensuring that the triterpenoid content, extraction methodology, and purity certifications meet the same benchmarks he has held throughout his career.
"Most mushroom supplements on the market are simply ground powder," Master Hsu Ming-Te explains. "The active compounds — the triterpenoids and polysaccharides that drive the therapeutic effects — require proper extraction to be bioavailable. That's what we do differently. We don't compromise quality."
"The science is unambiguous. Antrodia cinnamomea is one of the most bioactive functional fungi ever studied. The world deserves access to it."
— Master Hsu Ming-Te, Scientific Advisor
30+
Years of Antrodia research
1,000+
Studies reviewed and applied
CNS16152
Standard championed
Research
Grade protocols developed
The Taiwan Facility
Our cultivation and processing facility is located in Taiwan's mountain forests — the only region in the world where Antrodia cinnamomea grows naturally. We work with the same ancient host trees that indigenous communities have used for centuries.
The Antrodia cinnamomea sanctuary spans two protected sites in Taiwan — a 1.65-hectare reserve in Wufeng and a 9.9-hectare camphor forest in Baoshan. Together, they form one of the most carefully preserved growing environments in the world for this rare mushroom.
These are not industrial farms. They are living ecosystems — where the altitude, humidity, and ancient Cinnamomum kanehirae host trees create a terroir that cannot be replicated anywhere else on earth. Every batch of Antrodia cinnamomea we harvest carries the character of this land: wild-quality potency, cultivated with patience.
Wufeng Reserve
1.65 Hectares
Nestled in the highlands of Wufeng, this protected park provides the precise microclimate that Antrodia cinnamomea demands — cool mountain air, filtered light, and the native host trees that have supported this mushroom for centuries.
Baoshan Camphor Forest
9.9 Hectares
A vast, ancient camphor forest in Baoshan — the largest of our two sanctuaries. Here, the full canopy of mature Cinnamomum kanehirae trees creates the shaded, humid conditions that allow Antrodia cinnamomea to develop its highest concentration of bioactive triterpenoids.
A Fully Sustainable Cycle
From tree cultivation to mushroom harvest, every step of our process adheres to ESG-aligned practices. We grow our own host trees, harvest without disturbing the surrounding forest, and return organic matter to the soil — ensuring that the land that gives us this extraordinary mushroom will continue to do so for generations to come.
Log-Based Cultivation
We cultivate Antrodia cinnamomea on authentic Cinnamomum kanehirae logs — the only host tree the mushroom will grow on. This replicates its natural environment and produces the highest triterpenoid concentrations possible.
5+ Year Aging Process
Unlike competitors who harvest young mushrooms, we allow our Antrodia cinnamomea to age for a minimum of 5 years. This extended aging period is essential for developing the full spectrum of bioactive compounds.
Active Compound Extraction
Our proprietary extraction process isolates and concentrates the bioactive triterpenoids and polysaccharides — the compounds responsible for Antrodia's therapeutic effects. We don't just grind and package.
Bringing Taiwan's Best to the World
Thryve Superfoods exists to make the world's most scientifically validated functional mushroom accessible to everyone in North America — at the highest quality standard certified by Taiwan's national CNS16152 programme.
We believe that the gap between what's available in Taiwan and what's available in the West is not just a business opportunity — it's a health equity issue. Antrodia cinnamomea's benefits should not be limited to those who happen to live near Taiwan's ancient forests.