Whatever Happened To Snacklins After Shark Tank?

With nothing but a handful of ingredients and some fanciful flavors, Snacklins is looking to take a bite out of the snack food industry. The company's line of vegan pork rind snacks made from mushrooms, onions, and yucca not only comes in a variety of flavors, such as barbecue and miso ginger, but each Snacklins bag is considered an entire serving and comes in at only 80 calories per bag.

Snacklins was born from a joke. While at a barbecue restaurant in 2015, Samy Kobrosly quipped about how ironic it would be for him to develop a pork rind product of his own, given that his Muslim background prevented him from eating pork products of any kind. Believing there was something to the concept, Kobrosly experimented with crafting a vegan alternative to the crunchy snack, which quickly caught on with close friends. Kobrosly quit his job as a radio host and opened his own manufacturing firm to go into full production. The team managed to get Snacklins into a variety of retail stores and saw healthy growth in sales. One of Kobrosly's dreams was to pitch his company on "Shark Tank," and he finally got the opportunity when he made an appearance on Season 11 of the long-running ABC series.

Snacklin founder Sam Kobrosly appeared on "Shark Tank" seeking a $250,000 investment for 2.5% of his company. The Sharks try out samples and love the 80-calorie per-bag servings as well as the rich taste. Kobrosly shares that this was his intent — to make a junk food-flavored item without the junk.

Kobrosly owns 30% of Snacklins, with the rest of the company split amongst the employees and their angel investors. The prior year saw Snacklins earn $200,000 in sales, and it is now on track to hit $2 million. Their retail efforts have grown immensely, with the product going from being available in only 36 stores to 850 nationwide, including Walmart, Whole Foods, and 7-Eleven locations. Kevin O'Leary and Rohan Oza don't like that Kobrosly opened up his own factory to handle manufacturing, believing it to be an unfeasible option cost-wise, although some of the other Sharks see it as the best way to maintain quality control. Snacklins' margins also cause some concern, as each unit sells for between $1.99 and $2.29 and costs $0.90 to produce.

Along with having a Shark on board as a strategic partner, Kobrosly aims to use the investment to carry the business through its last few months before achieving profitability. Barbara Corocoran chooses to go out, having had a rough experience trying to see a profit from her prior "Shark Tank" snack company investment, Pipcorn. Similarly, Rohan Oza and Lori Greiner believe there's too much risk involved and exit the deal. Mark Cuban disagrees with their sentiment following the positive experience he had with Alyssa's Cookies, who also run their own manufacturing. After some negotiating, they agree on a $250,000 deal for 5% equity and 5% advisory shares.

Snacklins' first "Shark Tank" segment aired on October 20, 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused major shifts in many industries over the following year, Snacklins went through a rebrand to adapt to the times. Along with leaning more heavily into the e-commerce space, the team also updated Snacklins' packaging design and added some new flavors.

The company and its founder, Sam Kobrosly, made another appearance on "Shark Tank" Season 13 for an update segment. In it, Kobrosly shares that the team went from making $5,000 a week in online sales to $100,000 within its first week following "Shark Tank." Within two years, Snacklins surpassed $5.3 million in sales. This influx of orders and online traffic is a common occurrence in the aftermath of a business being featured on the show.

The added resources allowed Kobrosly to expand his team from 10 to 30 individuals. Additionally, Snacklins was able to grow its retail outreach as well, becoming available in 2,500 nationwide stores such as Whole Foods, Giants, Gelson's, and more. More than anything, Kobrosly hopes that his company's success can inspire others to achieve their dreams, stating in the update segment, "As a Tunsian-American, I can tell you, something like this can only happen in a country like America. I just hope that other people out there can look at this and realize that you can follow your dreams and you can make something out of nothing. That's just the American way."

A visit to Snacklins' official website reveals its wide variety of flavors. Currently, the vegan pork rind product is available in barbecue, cinnamon churro, nacho, teriyaki, and sea salt and vinegar varieties. Additionally, there is a special Chesapeake Bay flavor, paying homage to the company's roots as a Maryland-based operation. Shopping online, buyers can purchase a 12-pack of either the 0.9-ounce variety for $31 or the 3-ounce variety for $57.

Multiple retailers also carry Snacklins, which customers can find using the website's store locator feature. When both Snacklins and Pan's Mushroom Jerky became available in Texas' H-E-B stores, investor Mark Cuban excitedly announced the news in an Instagram video, stating, "I gotta tell you, I invested in these companies because I love the products. They taste great, they're healthy, and I can't wait for them to be everywhere across H-E-B." The company has not posted on Facebook or Twitter since 2022 but remains active on Instagram. Snacklins is currently estimated to bring in $13 million annually, with a net worth of $20 million.

If there's an entrepreneur who has managed to achieve Mark Cuban's vision of the American dream, Sam Kobrosly is a top-runner. Snacklins has grown from becoming a lighthearted joke amongst friends to a thriving company that is making millions. As Snacklins moves into the future, it continues to look for ways to include its loyal followers along for the ride.

In March, Snacklins announced that it would give regular consumers the opportunity to invest in the company through WeFunder. Snacklins CEO Jonathan Merlis shared the news on LinkedIn, saying, "2023 is the year of Snacklins. We have an aggressive retail growth strategy in place for this year. This WeFunder campaign is going to be a pivotal component of our growth plans for 2023 and into the future. If you've ever wanted to be a part of our unique start-up, now is your chance." The Wefunder round is currently still running, with over $19,000 invested and a final goal of $100,000.