What Happened To iFork From Shark Tank?

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An antithesis to the quirky products often seen on the show, "Shark Tank" Season 9 featured what looked like regular dinnerware. The inventor of the iFork, Kyle Donovan, stood before the Sharks with a plate of food in one hand and a beverage glass in the other and proceeded to smoothly attach the two into a single unit, thus freeing up one hand. He had just demonstrated one of two distinct benefits of his products.

His signature product, the iFork (along with its companion iKnife, iSpoon, iPlate, and iCup), forms a set of compatible interlocking tableware that makes it easier to carry a full serving of food and drink in one hand. The extension on the back of the cutlery, which helps connect it to the plate, has the additional benefit of preventing the part a part the utensil that touches food from coming into contact with other surfaces. The idea came to Donovan as a way to avoid exposing silverware to potentially unclean tabletops.

The product marked a departure from Donovan's past endeavors. The entrepreneur ran a photography business in his teens and later started a business publication called NV Magazine. He also authored a series of bee-themed children's books called "The DoBees." These aspects of his past would come up following the "Shark Tank" episode in ways you might not expect.

Kyle Donovan had been working on and selling his line of iFork products for some time before presenting to Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Rohan Oza, and Robert Herjavec. His patent filings for the iFork and iSpoon date back to 2013, and an Indiegogo fundraising effort from the same year garnered $4,600. A later 2015 Kickstarter campaign for $10,000 was unsuccessful. However, Donovan did get a deal to stock his inventive cutlery across 500 Walmart outlets before appearing on the show.

The interlocking feature, in particular, garnered enthusiasm from the sharks. The product came in various versions, including a stainless steel set with forks, salad forks, table spoons, teaspoons, and a knife. Then there was also the complete interlocking set of fork, knife, spoon, cup, and plate.

While impressed by its simple design and functionality, three of the four Sharks passed up on Donovan's bid for $100,000 in exchange for a 5% stake in iFork. Barbara Corcoran, however, decided to invest the amount for a 15% stake. There was also a brief discussion on updating the packaging for the product line before she and Donovan struck a deal.

We've seen a fair share of "Shark Tank" food inventions flop. While iFork can't be completely written off, it doesn't appear to have become hugely successful. After appearing on the show, Kyle Donovan described his product's growing popularity in an interview with ABC Eyewitness News, noting an influx of orders. However, it seems that the deal with Barbara Corcoran might not have gone through or was perhaps rescinded, since the iFork doesn't show up on the property mogul's list of "Shark Tank" investments. The product line isn't too widely available and doesn't seem to have expanded or evolved much. Donovan's professional profile on LinkedIn mentions the iFork and his television appearance but doesn't elaborate on any further developments or growth in the company.

Furthermore, the inventor found himself in an unfortunate situation a couple of months after his "Shark Tank" episode aired. A long-standing tiff with a neighbor came to a head after the latter accused Donovan of engaging in illicit activities with women on his property (per New York Daily News). The inventor responded by suing the neighbor for defamation, stating that he hosted a party to celebrate his television appearance. Moreover, he claimed that the neighbor's allegation sabotaged his efforts to have the "DoBees" books he had previously written turned into a movie. As of this writing, we've found no indication of how the disagreement played out.

While the iFork may not be one of the coolest kitchen tools we've seen on "Shark Tank", the line of cutlery still seems to have some takers. The products are still available on the company website as well as on Amazon. In addition to the silver stainless steel line, there is also a black line of cutlery that's available on the website. Both come in three-, six-, and 12-piece sets with prices starting at $29.99. The smallest option consists of a fork, knife, and spoon, each with the ball attached to keep the front elevated.

The fact that its products are listed as available for purchase points to iFork still being in business. Very few reviews exist, but those that do hint at how much some people appreciated Donovan's innovation. "I've purposely eaten in all the rooms using my iFork set and I'm very impressed at its ability to keep my new tables clean," wrote one customer on Amazon. Another mentioned how the iFork's ability to avoid contact with tables was particularly useful post-pandemic.

It's worth noting that the plastic line of flatware, which featured the interlocking plate and cup in addition to the cutlery, is out of stock. Whether it will ever be stocked again or has been discontinued is unclear.

With its social media channels all but dormant (iFork's last Instagram post was in 2023), it appears that the cutlery company isn't really making any moves apart from its online sales. Kyle Donovan, meanwhile, seems to be devoting time to a more recent venture. His Facebook profile (which is active) currently lists him as CEO at The Incc — a multicultural media and social networking platform inspired by his time running NV Magazine. While The Incc's Facebook page mentioned a beta launch in July 2025, there have been no further announcements. The platform's website has a waitlist for those interested in downloading the app once it becomes available. 

While it's fun to take a look back at how some of Shark Tank's most memorable food companies are doing, sometimes it's the people behind the company that seem more interesting. The serial entrepreneur, in addition to his aforementioned projects, also recently brought out the digital editions of his children's book series, "The DoBees," on Amazon in January 2025. Donovan had authored them during his time as head of NV Magazine.