Here's What Happened To Noshi After Shark Tank
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Noshi appeared on Season 14 Episode 21 of "Shark Tank," which aired in May 2023. Founded by Tomo Delaney, the brand aimed to tackle kids' picky eating with healthy "Food Paint" that would allow them to decorate their food before eating it. The idea came to Delaney when a family friend suggested the solution to his children's picky eating habits might be presenting food as fun and colorful (via Shark Tank Blog). A former fashion photographer, Delaney loved the idea, and soon after began working on Noshi Food Paint.
On the show, Delaney spoke about going from stay-at-home dad to family bread-winner when his wife was forced to leave her job after contracting long COVID. This motivated Delaney to go all-in on the Noshi idea he'd been working on for years. In his pitch, Delaney riffed on an all-too-familiar moment for most parents — when a child says "no" to their food. Right off the bat, he promised his edible Food Paint would help picky eaters get more excited about eating. With Noshi, Delaney wanted to ask the question: What if we encourage kids to play with their food in a healthy way?
Delaney initially introduced 3 flavors: strawberry, blueberry, and peach. The Food Paints are all certified USDA Organic and made with simple natural food colorings and flavorings like beet powder and fruit purées, with no harmful preservatives added. They are packaged in small tubes designed for drawing and coloring food. While not all of the Sharks were fans, Mark Cuban chose to invest.
What happened to Noshi on Shark Tank?
Tomo Delaney started Noshi in 2017. Though he pitched the product to "Shark Tank" then, he didn't make it onto the show. By the time he made it onto the show in 2022, he was selling in 370 Walmart stores and slated to expand to 1,500. As he let the Sharks try out the product and play with their food, Delaney presented his offer: $250,000 from the Sharks in exchange for 17% equity.
The Sharks were impressed by licensing deals Delaney had made with Crayola, Peppa Pig, and more that allowed him to use their design on his products. Unfortunately, they weren't too thrilled by Delaney's thin profit margins, which had brought in only $117,000 in sales the previous year, with a projected increase. Delaney specified that he would use the Shark's investment to buy a machine that would help lower production costs and increase profit margins.
After Delaney made his case, the Sharks revealed their positions. While the other Sharks bowed out due to lackluster sales numbers and concerns around pricing ($5.46 per three-tube unit sounded steep), Mark Cuban was interested. Cuban had concerns about the packaging and thought Noshi should pivot to online sales, but he offered 250,000 in exchange for 25% equity, which Delaney accepted. "I thought it was a great product with a great opportunity," Cuban later told Insider.
Noshi is continuing to grow after Shark Tank
It hasn't been long since the Noshi episode of "Shark Tank" aired, but it appears the company has been doing well since then and is taking some of Mark Cuban's advice. Noshi now sells its products on its official website and on Amazon. Tomo Delaney has recently described increasing demand for the product, though recent developments in his wife's health have made managing his business exceptionally tricky. However, his wife's fragile condition and his family's financial needs also continue to motivate Delaney to grow Noshi. The company also now offers a savory paint flavor at Walmart called "Sketchup" — ketchup ideal for drawing on food — at $3.98 for three tubes.
No official sales numbers have been released, but it appears that things are generally going well for Noshi since it was featured on "Shark Tank" earlier this year. For desperate parents looking for a way to trick their children into eating their fruits, Food Paint may help turn them into more imaginative and adventurous eaters.
Is Noshi still in business?
Noshi is still in business and continues to expand its offerings and increase its online presence. These are all good signs for the company's growth. While the Noshi For Kids website is completely sold out, the Crayola tubes (which come in raspberry, mango, and grape flavors) and the Peppa Pig Noshi (which come in the original blueberry, strawberry, and peach flavors) are still in stock on Amazon. The company's official Instagram continues to advertise the Food Paint on different foods like pancakes, oatmeal, rice cakes, ice cream, and more. While some customers have been critical of leaky tubes and found their children didn't love the flavors, the overall reviews are positive. One Amazon reviewer wrote: "Love this product! The way it combines creativity, fun and an activity with food is genius."
Noshi, which is estimated to be worth about $2 million, has found success by appealing to parents stressed about their children's eating habits by providing a fun, nutritious way for kids to enjoy their food. Kids seem to love the flavors and the creative possibilities.
What's next for Noshi?
Noshi appears to have a wide array of new flavors coming soon. In addition to their current "Sketchup" tubes that are sold at Walmart, the memorable "Shark Tank" food brand is teasing additional savory Food Paint flavors that have yet to be released. These include larger 10-ounce tubes of "Crayonnaise" and "Mustart," the brand's organic takes on other savory condiments. Also coming soon are "organic Ranch" and "Chick'n Dip" flavors, according to a recent Instagram post. In an interview on the "Hitting the Mark" Podcast in January 2023, founder Tomo Delaney shared plans for a licensing deal with Very Hungry Caterpillar for vegetable flavored Food Paint, hinting at further room for expansion. It's unclear if this is still part of the plan for Noshi, but you can keep your eyes peeled and stay up to date on Noshi's social media as new flavors continue to roll out.