From ABC to a deal with Dippin’ Dots, it's been quite a ride for Morrisville's Dinesh Tadepalli.
Three months after making his “Shark Tank” debut with his edible spoon startup incrEDIBLE Eats, Tadepalli is still riding the wave. That’s as the deal he closed on the show, with Lori Greiner of Home Shopping Network fame, didn’t actually close.
“They changed the deal terms,” Tadepalli said last week, though he declined to provide details.
The show did, however, give the startup massive exposure, which he credits to key partnerships — such as the one he just announced with ice cream company Dippin’ Dots — as well as the nearly 150,000 pre-orders he’s in the process of fulfilling. Despite “challenging” shipping issues, a swath of spoons arrived at his warehouse this week, meaning soon all of those orders will be fulfilled, he said.
Tadepalli’s big headline, however, is the partnerships.
Tadepalli had reached out to Dippin’ Dots via LinkedIn even before the show aired. And conversations slowly escalated, he said. In addition to Dippin’ Dots, the company inked deals with Ripley’s Aquarium locations in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Tadepalli is also in discussions with a major ice cream retailer, an airline and a fast-food company.
While the startup is flush with opportunities, it’s still a lean shop. Instead of hiring, Tadepalli said he’s funneling capital into inventory to keep the wave going. He's looking at ways to print the brand name on the spoons in a safe, edible way — something partners are asking for, he said.
Tadepalli appeared on “Shark Tank” in October, telling the investors he wants to change the world by completely eliminating plastic utensils. Four sharks made offers. Tadepalli, who moved from California to Morrisville to build his company, asked for $500,000 in exchange for 7% of the company. Greiner ended up offering $500,000 for 15%.
But, as deals on the show always have to be further vetted, it’s not the first time a North Carolina company has walked away after the cameras stopped airing. Charlotte-based Remyxx, which deals in recycled sneakers, saw its $50,000 investment fall through after its episode was shot. An $800,000 investment in Raleigh’s Sunscreenr failed to close after a 2016 episode. And in 2018, Raleigh’s Wine & Design landed a $500,000 investment that fell through after the show aired.
Here's a look at what happened to other North Carolina "Shark Tank" startups:
How NC entrepreneurs have fared after 'Shark Tank'
Kevin Flannery, the Cary-based founder of Wispots, told sharks in the 2009 premiere episode that he had taken out two mortgages so he could support his company, which created what he described as an interactive patient center. But the sharks were taken aback by the product’s $10,000 price tag and failed to invest.
Duke University-born Kalyx Technologies, a startup making comfortable sports bras, was unable to secure an investment when the team presented on Shark Tank in 2009. The company was founded by former golfer and Duke grad Kimberly Cayce, who later sold the firm to ActivewearUSA.
Fayetteville entrepreneur Ken Howell presented Uncle Zip’s Beef Jerky to the sharks in 2011 and left without an investment.
Wilmington’s Freaker USA, which created one-size-fits-all beverage insulators appeared on "Shark Tank" in 2012, but didn’t close an investment with a shark.
Sparta-based inventor Donny McCall tried to sell sharks on a retractable cargo rack dubbed the Invis-a-Rack in 2012. But, after he declined to listen when they told him he should manufacture his product overseas, they rejected him for an investment.
According to his LinkedIn profile, McCall is president of roof rack manufacturer Perrycraft Inc.
Recycled sneaker firm Remyxx, the brainchild of Charlotte entrepreneur Gary Gagnon, appeared on "Shark Tank" in 2012, securing a $50,000 investment pledge from Daymond John (pictured), though the deal reportedly fell through.
Gagnon’s LinkedIn profile lists him as the director of business development at Microban International.
Cramerton entrepreneur Julie Busha presented Slawsa – a cross between a coleslaw and a salsa – on "Shark Tank" in 2013 and walked out without an investment.
Mooresville entrepreneur Tigere Chriga presented The Floating Mug Co to "Shark Tank" in 2014. The cup – a combination of mug and coaster – was unable to secure an investment.
EvREwares Sticky Ties turned down Mark Cuban’s $200,000 offer to buy their company in 2015. Raleigh entrepreneurs Ellie Brown and Becca Nelson would say later that, following their episode, it was tough going for the firm, which sold tie-shaped stickers. The internet was full of comments from people skeptical about their business model. “I guess we never really anticipated what would happen from a social perception,” Brown said in 2015. The firm would later close up shop.
Frill Clothing is still in operation, though its Raleigh founders are no longer leading the company. Sharon Bui and Kate Steadman, graduates of N.C. State and Appalachian State, respectively, were 19-year-old college students when they founded sorority-focused fashion firm Frill in 2012. The company was able to secure a $100,000 deal with not one, but two sharks – Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O’Leary – in 2015.
![Twin Z Pillow Co Barsosky[1]](https://media.bizj.us/view/img/6784642/twin-z-pillow-co-barsosky1*540xx1200-800-0-71.jpg)
Technically, Twin Z Pillow Co was a New Hampshire company when it secured a $75,000 investment from shark Lori Greiner in 2015, though Michelle Barsosky is an N.C. State University graduate. Michelle and Jason Barsosky moved their headquarters to commercial space in Mooresville that same year, however. The firm, which makes nursing pillows for twins, is still selling, according to its website.
Raleigh’s David Cohen presented Sunscreenr, a device that detects spots you might have missed when applying sunscreen, to sharks in 2016. Cohen left the tank with an $800,000 pledge from “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary (pictured). But the deal never ended up closing, according to what Cohen wrote in a 2017 Kickstarter pitch.
The product is listed on the firm's website - a UV camera for Android devices, starting at $139.
Husband and wife duo Patrick and Harriet Mills surprised the sharks in 2018, bringing in a nude male model to show how their franchised art studio Wine & Design worked. The couple landed a $500,000 from shark Kevin O'Leary, but lawsuits between Harriet Mills and co-founder Emmy Preiss show the deal fell through.
Cary entrepreneur Shane Cox presented his throwable microphone ball on "Shark Tank" in 2017. Mark Cuban, Rohan Oza and Lori Greiner (pictured) signed on for a $300,000 investment.
As outlined in a securities filing, Raleigh-based travel rewards startup netted $320,000 in equity from a single investor: Mark Cuban. The company appeared on the show in November 2018.
The firm was later acquired by Experian.
