The local startup that brought its vegan pork rind snacks to ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2019 is still cooking.
Rockville’s Snacklins nabbed another segment on the show Friday, two years after securing $250,000 from billionaire investor Mark Cuban, to give the audience an update. And things are heating up.
Snacklins went through “a significant rebrand” to its packaging. The new design is shown here.
Snacklins
The “Shark Tank” update
When Snacklins co-founder Samy Kobrosly made his first appearance on the reality series, the company was averaging $5,000 per week in online sales and could barely keep up with production. After the company's plant-based crisps made their national television debut, the business hit $100,000, “more sales than we’d ever gotten before,” he said on Friday’s segment.
Snacklins has since expanded its Rockville facility, where it moved in 2019 after outgrowing District culinary incubator Union Kitchen. The snack maker has also nearly tripled its team from 10 to about 27 employees and broken into 2,500 stores across the country including Giant Food, Whole Foods Market, Stop & Shop, MOM's Organic Market locations and others. Over these two years, Snacklins has surpassed $5.3 million in sales, Kobrosly said on the show.
The puffed chips — which comes in barbecue, nacho, teriyaki, Chesapeake Bay and cinnamon churro varieties — sell in “snack” and “sharing” sized bags. A four-pack of the larger 3-ounce size sells for $17.99 and a 12-pack of the smaller 0.9-ounce size sells for $12.99 on the Snacklins website.
That the company has created jobs and a healthier, affordable product “can only happen in a country like America,” Kobrosly, a Muslim, first-generation American, said on Friday’s episode. “I just hope other people out there can look at this and realize you can follow your dreams and you can make something out of nothing; that’s just the American way.”
"I love things in the space of being 80 calories for a healthy, lighter snack. But I feel it’s a little too risky and too early for me right now," said Lori Greiner, pictured left. Most of the other sharks similarly declined to offer deals.
Cuban rejected Kobrosly's initial ask. "If you want to make me an offer I can’t refuse, I’ll listen," Cuban said. "But otherwise, I’m out." They negotiated their way to a handshake.
Kobrosly is a radio host-turned-food entrepreneur. He hosted morning shows on Hot 99.5 and Mix 107.3 in the D.C. area, and worked in local bars and restaurants, before starting Snacklins.
Eric McCandless
The startup’s two-year journey
As it expanded into more stores, Snacklins also went through “a significant rebrand” that has led it to produce 10-times the volume it was doing two years ago, CEO Kevin Blesy told us in an email.
Though the pandemic hit the food industry hard, the startup didn’t have to stop production or lay off any staff, Blesy said. “As a food manufacturer, we already had stringent health and safety protocols in place but took the time to make sure our production staff was still comfortable in their day-to-day duties. Having a presence both online and in retail stores, we were also able to capture demand wherever our consumer shopped, especially during the depths of lockdown measures.”
The company declined to disclose annual revenue or projections for 2022, but we know the business generated $2 million in 2019 and pre-pandemic had a target of $10 million for 2020, Kobrosly told us at the time.
Blesy said current priorities include bringing on “a robust pipeline of additional retailers” within the next year, introducing new flavors and package sizes, and ramping up advertising across the country.
Cuban continues to work with the Snacklins team after striking a deal with Kobrosly on the October 2019 episode.
“All you need to know is that we literally go through boxes of Snacklins every month at my house,” Cuban told us in 2019. “Because they are low-cal, taste great and have super clean ingredients we use them for everything: snacks, dipping, break them up on salads, you name it. When I travel I have them delivered to my hotel for snacking.”
“My only regret is that I couldn’t buy more of the company,” he said at the time. “Snacklins are amazing.”
Snacklins is part of a growing group of Greater Washington “Shark Tank” survivors, including a handful who have scored deals just this year and others continuing to reap the benefits. Here’s a look at that alumni network.
The ABC reality show premiered in 2009 and continues to serve as a launching pad for the entrepreneurs that pitch its multimillionaire and billionaire investor panel.
Duane “Myko” Cheers, Danita Claytor and Jumoke Jackson took their Hyattsville-based company, Everything Legendary, to the primetime reality show’s infamous stage in an episode that aired Feb. 26, 2021. Their pitch: A tasty premium patty created in 2019 to help reduce health conditions among the Black community that has since gained traction across the board. The trio clinched a deal with Mark Cuban for $300,000 for 22% of the business.
Nahum Jeannot pitched his on-the-go breakfast startup, GoOats, to the show's panel — seeking $150,000 for 10% equity. Barbara Corcoran made an offer, they went back and forth, and the Alexandria entrepreneur ultimately took a deal: $150,000 for a 20% equity stake.
Mollie Thorsen and her father, Bob, sought $250,000 for a 10% stake in their business: a wheelbarrow tray for gardeners. They got two offers, from Lori Greiner and Kevin O'Leary, because they couldn't take on the royalties they were offering. The episode aired a year after they filmed it, in May 2020: as coronavirus swept across the country, forcing the Alexandria startup to pivot from brick-and-mortar retail to e-commerce.
Samy Kobrosly pitched Snacklins, a vegan pork rind — sans the pork — to the shark panel on an episode in mid-October 2019. Most of the sharks stepped out of the running for a deal, citing his lofty $10 million valuation and concern about competition within the space. But Mark Cuban took it on, ultimately settling on an agreement that gave him 5% straight equity and another 5% of advisory shares for a $250,000 investment.
John Sorial presented his frozen food business, Tysons-based TaDah Foods, to the investor panel on the fall 2019 season premiere. He had to work to win over investors, and ultimately did, with a deal from guest shark Daniel Lubetzky — founder and chief of Kind LLC — for $500,000 for a quarter of the business. It was a great fit, Sorial said, because Lubetzky “has walked the arduous miles that I have yet to walk.”
D.C. chemist and entrepreneur Eric Roy pitched his water filter business, Hydroviv, to investors of ABC’s “Shark Tank” April 14, 2019. He walked away with a handshake from Mark Cuban: $400,000 for a 20% stake — the same dollar amount Roy had sought, for 10% more than he’d planned to give away.
Potomac daily deals startup CertifiKid, now 10 years old, scored an investment from Kevin O'Leary on an April 8, 2019, episode: $600,000 in exchange for 19% of the company.
Local mother-daughter duo Sara Polon, right, and mother, Marilyn, appeared on an Oct. 21, 2018, episode of “Shark Tank,” but failed to convince the show’s investors that their plant-based soup company, Soupergirl, was worth a $5 million valuation. After filming the show in June, they got a call from guest shark and RSE Ventures CEO Matt Higgins. Now he's serving as an advisor to the company.
Jake, Jordan and Jimmy DeCicco offered 4.5 percent of startup Sunniva in exchange for $500,000 on a Feb. 11, 2018, episode. They quickly impressed the sharks with their commitment to the company and its product, Super Coffee — organic Columbian coffee beans blended with lactose-free protein and healthy fats from coconut oil. But between their high valuation and a taste some of the sharks didn't like, they couldn't get a deal.
Glenn Archer and Kevin Williams, co-founders of RGK Innovations, pitched their Brush Hero product on a Jan. 21, 2018, episode. The product is a water-powered brush that connects to a garden hose to clean everything from car and motorcycle wheels to rain gutters to patio furniture to your dog. Daymond John and Lori Greiner each made the same offer: $500,000 for 25 percent. The business partners felt it was too high, so they left the tank to think it over, which proved to be a big mistake. John revoked his offer, and Greiner revised hers: $250,000 as a loan at 7 percent interest, and an additional $250,000 for 25 percent equity. They turned it down, and left without a deal.
Daniel Turissini of D.C.-based Recharj pitched the panel on a Jan. 7, 2018, episode. He sought an investmentof $75,000 in exchange for 15 percent equity, for his nap and meditation studio. He spent his segment fighting off a barrage of cruel criticisms and pointed questions from the sharks, who, one by one, became vicious before turning him down. Here's more.
Sharmi Albrechtsen, founder and CEO of Arlington-based tech toy company SmartGurlz, landed an investment from FUBU founder Daymond John on a Nov. 12, 2017, “Shark Tank” episode: $200,000 for 25 percent of the business. Her product — a line of dolls that ride robotic “Siggy” scooters, controlled by an app that teaches girls to code — was met with fascination, but just as much hesitation, from the sharks. Here's more.
Ashburn entrepreneur Krista Woods' GloveStix product — a smell killer for athletic gear — exploded after winning a “Today Show” competition and repeatedly selling on QVC. She asked the sharks for $150,000 in exchange for 10 percent of her business on an episode that aired Nov. 5, 2017. Panel members — regulars Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner, plus retired baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez — didn’t seem sold. But she won them over, and left with a deal: $150,000 for 17.5 percent of the company, split between Greiner and Rodriguez. Here's more.
D.C. resident Andrew Bentley pitched Father Figure, his paternity clothing company and lifestyle brand, to the reality show’s panel of potential partners on an episode that aired Oct. 29, 2017. He asked for $80,000 in exchange for 15 percent equity — and not one shark took the bait. Now Bentley is working on research, surveying dads around the country about what they want to see from the company. He’s looking to hire a designer and expand his products. But he isn’t proactively looking for other investors yet. Here's more.
Joe Parisi and Nick Nevarez, founders of D.C. safety startup Guard Llama, came onto the show with a $2 million valuation — eliciting some harsh feedback from the show's investors. But real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran saw a need for the product, a fob that connects people to emergency help faster than a 911 call. They secured a $100,000 loan from Corcoran in return for an 18 percent equity stake in the business and a $2 royalty on each sale until she makes her money back. Here's more.
Surprise Ride gained attention for leaving "Shark Tank" without a deal, then luring shark Kevin O'Leary to invest $50,000 for 2.5 percent of the business. The now 4-year-old startup has continued to raise funding, with total funding to date coming to $3.1 million. Here's more.
What happens when you can’t agree to terms with Mark Cuban? That was the million-dollar question when the co-founders of Rockville-based Nexercise Inc. and creators of its Sworkit fitness app walked away from a deal with the “Shark Tank” investor and billionaire owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. It meant the entrepreneurs would proceed without Cuban’s partnership and original offer: $1.5 million for 10 percent ownership of the business, plus $1.5 million worth of the app’s unsold ad inventory. Now the founders are executing a new plan to expand Sworkit — a mobile and web platform that offers customizable video workouts — to an entirely new customer base: patients going through rehab. Here's more.
Craig Isakow, who was torn apart by the sharks on a January 2014 episode after an over-the-top pitch for webcam cover Eyebloc, put the D.C.-based business on the back-burner and joined San Francisco-based Shift as head of partnerships. He was ready to sell his company. But growing awareness of hacking threats and the need for privacy — and high-profile public figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Pope Francis using the same method to protect themselves — have led the entrepreneur to change his game plan: He has decided to expand and monetize the brand. “There’s still some value there that I would like to try to extract,” he told me in January 2017. Here's more.
“Shark Tank” changed everything for Jordan Lloyd Bookey and Felix Brandon Lloyd. Zoobean, a subscription service that recommended educational children’s books, was a week old when the former teachers received an email from producers requesting they apply. Bookey previously thought that auditioning “seemed a little bit nutty,” she says, but they “decided to call him right then and seize that opportunity.” The episode aired about nine months after its filming, when shark Mark Cuban decided to invest $250,000 for a 16 percent stake in the business. They closed that deal in December 2013. Here's more.
In 2009 in D.C., former Capitol Hill staffers Brett Thompson, left, and Heath Hall, were building a barbecue business — the same year ABC was debuting the new reality show. The co-founders of Pork Barrel BBQ secured an investment from Barbara Corcoran on the show's first season: $50,000 for half of the business. She was their first investor. Here's more.
"Shark Tank" was ValPark Mobile founder Wayne Johnson's first investor meeting. He didn't get a deal, but the show's impact was seen immediately. “We got slammed,” Johnson said in 2016. “It took me two or three weeks just to filter through all of the emails — from potential investors, people saying thanks, people trying to work with you or for you. We probably got about 200 resumes.” Here's more.
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Keep Digging
Snacklins took its vegan pork rinds to the ‘Shark Tank’ stage
D.C. vertigo startup gets Mark Cuban funding — and a regulatory assist
‘Shark Tank’ vegan burger startup breaks into Target stores
Soupergirl: Homegrown soup company doubling down on consumer business
GoOats: Snack startup innovating and expanding after 'Shark Tank'
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