Minus Cal post-Shark Tank update: is the 'fat-blocking product' still in business?
Minus Cal ended its social media presence in 2019 and became unavailable on Amazon shortly after. The no-deal outcome on Shark Tank and Mark Cuban's scathing on-air comments proved devastating to the business. The startup officially went out of business in 2020, and its website is no longer active as of 2026.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Crom Carmichael and Barrett Jacques founded Minus Cal in 2017, both alumni of Vanderbilt University, based in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Minus Cal was an innovative fat-blocking protein bar and supplement.
- Barrett and Crom pitched on Shark Tank Season 11, Episode 1, seeking $500,000 for 20% equity, implying a $2.5 million valuation.
- No investor made an offer, and Mark Cuban publicly called the product a scam and warned viewers not to buy it.
Profile summary
Brand | Minus Cal |
Product | Fat-blocking protein bar |
Founders | Crom Carmichael and Barrett Jacques |
Status | Not operational as of 2026 |
What Is Minus Cal?
Minus Cal was a Nashville, Tennessee-based health and wellness startup founded in 2017 by Crom Carmichael and Barrett Jacques. The company claimed its bars and supplements could block fat absorption using a special ingredient called Choleve.
Minus Cal offered products in flavours such as Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Apple Cinnamon, as well as supplements in pill form. Barrett explained the concept using a vivid metaphor:
So imagine your digestive tract is a party, and our ingredient, the Choleve, is the bouncer. When the fat shows up at the party without an invitation, Choleve sends it out of your system.
Choleve, they claimed, was a proprietary all-natural blend coming from fermented tea that allegedly blocked fat absorption and helped lower cholesterol by 17 to 20 percent.
The bars were positioned not just as a snack but as a dietary aid, and the company's unusual "fat-blocking" premise was what earned them a spot on one of America's most-watched entrepreneurial reality television shows.
Source: UGC
Who are the founders of Minus Cal?
Crom Carmichael and Barrett Jacques, both alumni of Vanderbilt University, were the founders of Minus Cal. Crom earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, while Barrett earned a business degree.
Raised in South Bend, Indiana, Carmichael met Jacques after moving to Nashville. Carmichael began his career as a columnist for the Nashville Tennessean before becoming a business and political commentator for WLAC-AM and WSMV-TV.
Barrett Jacques, who served as Vice President of Minus Cal, had a diverse background, having worked as a recording artist for two years with Sony Music Entertainment. He later worked as Director of Business Development at Nashai Biotech and MetaPhy Health.
What happened during the pitch on Shark Tank?
Crom Carmichael and Barrett Jacques appeared on Shark Tank Season 11, Episode 1, in 2019. They sought $500,000 for 20% equity in their business.
The two men presented Minus Cal's bars and claimed that clinical studies showed that Choleve inhibits the breakdown of fat molecules by enzymes in the small intestine so that a percentage of the fat passes through undigested. The pitch quickly became contentious.
Mark Cuban was the first shark to question the founders, implying the product's name might mislead consumers into thinking it was an alternative route to instant weight loss. He stated that he was skeptical about the product. He told other sharks, including Robert Herjavec, that they were about to invest in air.
Crom pushed back firmly. He defended his snack bars and diet tablets. Guest shark Daniel Lubetzky, founder of KIND Snacks, stated he preferred eating foods in their natural state and was the first to exit.
Investor Kevin O'Leary, alias Mr Wonderful, followed due to the lack of sales and what he considered a high valuation. Lori Greiner bowed out, uncomfortable with the weight loss claims.
On the other hand, Robert Herjavec said the product didn't taste good and declined, saying he didn't know what he would be investing in. Mark Cuban was last out, and he went further than a simple decline. The Shark Tank tycoon directly warned the viewing audience.
To everybody who's watching, don't buy it.
Source: UGC
What was the Shark Tank effect on Minus Cal?
Failing to secure investment on Shark Tank proved fatal to Minus Cal. The brand could not provide strong clinical trials or FDA approvals. Mark Cuban's on-air labelling of the product as a scam triggered widespread public and expert criticism over its fat-blocker claims.
After Shark Tank, the product was sold on Amazon for a period, but the reviews were overwhelmingly negative. Many consumers commented that the bars did not taste good, and some said the product was a scam. These comments drove further decline in sales and pushed the company toward closure.
The company also struggled to fund any advertising or marketing in the post-show period, leaving it unable to rebuild its reputation or reach new customers. Its Instagram page went dark in 2019, and the following year, the business closed its online shop entirely.
Is Minus Cal still in business?
No, the startup is no longer in business as of 2026. The official website is offline, and products are not available on Amazon, Walmart, or specialty stores.
Minus Cal had reportedly been out of business since as early as 2019. The online store formally closed in 2020. There has been no indication that either founder intends to revive the brand.
Minus Cal's post-Shark Tank net worth
The company's net worth is currently $0. The company went bankrupt and did not receive any funding from Shark Tank. Because it is out of business, its products cannot be found in the market.
This is a sharp fall from the $2.5 million valuation the founders claimed during their pitch. Minus Cal's net worth dropped to just $28,000 shortly after its Shark Tank appearance before closing entirely.
What are the Minus Cal founders doing now?
Many people have asked for Minus Cal's post-Shark Tank update. Well, following the collapse of the protein bar business, both founders moved forward with new ventures. Crom Carmichael is now the CEO of Nashai Biotech LLC, while Barrett Jacques shifted his focus to leading Shield Health.
Carmichael also runs Soltea, a heart health supplement brand, and hosts a podcast called From Our Generation. After the collapse of the business, Jacques became the Director of Business Development at MetaPhy Health before leaving that position in 2022.
Source: UGC
Who was the 11-year-old girl who turned down a $30,000,000 Shark Tank deal?
The 11-year-old girl who famously turned down a $30 million Shark Tank deal is Hanalei Swan. Born in 2012, the Los Angeles native founded her own handmade jewellery company called Hanalei Swan Jewellery.
The young girl had turned a mere $20 into a thriving six-figure enterprise by the time she appeared on the show. When a jaw-dropping $30 million investment offer came in, reportedly from Mark Cuban for a 10% equity stake, Hanalei declined.
She chose to maintain full control and autonomy over her brand's future and its values-driven mission. Her story stands in striking contrast to that of Minus Cal.
FAQs
- What happened to Minus Cal after Shark Tank? The brand failed to secure any investment on Shark Tank Season 11, Episode 1. Mark Cuban's public condemnation of the product on air triggered a wave of negative consumer reviews. The company lost sales, ended its social media presence in 2019, and officially shut down in 2020.
- What is Minus Cal worth today? The company is worth $0 as of 2026. It is defunct and its products are no longer available anywhere.
- Is Minus Cal still around? No. it is no longer in business. Minus Cal's website went offline, its social media has been inactive since 2019, and the product is unavailable on Amazon or in any retail store.
- Did Minus Cal get a deal on Shark Tank? No. All five sharks declined to invest, and Mark Cuban publicly warned viewers against buying the product.
- Who are the founders of Minus Cal? Crom Carmichael, an angel investor, business commentator, and biotech CEO, and Barrett Jacques, a former recording artist and health industry executive, founded Minus Cal.
- What episode of Shark Tank did Minus Cal appear on? It appeared in Season 11, Episode 1, which aired in 2019.
- Why did Minus Cal go out of business? A combination of Mark Cuban's on-air criticism, negative consumer reviews, unproven scientific claims, and a lack of capital for advertising following the failed pitch led to the company's closure by 2020.
Minus Cal's story is one of Shark Tank's most cautionary tales. A genuinely novel product concept was undone by a lack of verifiable evidence and inconsistent claims during the pitch. Because the founders had only made a few sales before appearing on Shark Tank, the show's exposure led to a negative outcome. Both Crom Carmichael and Barrett Jacques have since moved on to separate and substantive ventures in the biotech and health sectors.
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Source: Legit.ng
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over seven years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University (graduated in 2017). Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Cyprine received the 2023 and 2025 Writer of the Year awards. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
Naomi Karina (Lifestyle writer) Naomi Karina is a writer at Legit.ng. She joined the project in August 2022. With over four years of digital journalism experience, she specialises in biographies, entertainment, and business. Naomi holds a Bachelor of Commerce from KCA University (2012). She also earned a Higher Diploma in HR from IHRM and a Marketing Diploma from Kenyatta University. To advance her editorial skills, she completed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course in 2023 and the Google News Initiative training in 2024.
