5miles was founded in 2014 and was initially only available in mainland China. After a period of successful expansion, it entered the American market in 2015. The founder and CEO Lucas Lu, who holds a physics Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University, previously worked for Alibaba and Light in the Box - two Chinese online marketplaces with global reach. Dallas (where the app was initially trialed) and Houston (both in Texas) remain 5miles strongholds in the US.