Numilk's Shark Tank journey, from pitch to production reality
In March 2021, Numilk's Shark Tank episode aired, changing the traditional food production retail model. In their pitch, the company's founders, Ari Tolwin and Joe Savino, sought $1 million for 5% equity. Despite reporting $7 million in losses, the founders secured a $2 million investment offer from Mark Cuban for both equity and advisory shares.
Source: Facebook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Business profile
- Inside Numilk's Shark Tank pitch
- Breaking down Numilk's Shark Tank deals
- Update: What happened to the Numilk from Shark Tank?
- Which Shark Tank episode was Numilk on?
- Is Numilk still a company?
- Who founded Numilk?
- Did Numilk's Shark Tank deal go through?
- What is Numilk from Shark Tank's net worth?
Key takeaways
- Numilk's Shark Tank appearance in season 12 resulted in a $2 million deal from Mark Cuban, broken down into two parts: $1 million for 7% equity and the other as a loan at 3% interest in exchange for an additional 3% in advisory shares.
- The company's valuation at the time of the show was $40 million and is recorded at $70 million as of January 2026.
- Since appearing on Shark Tank, the brand has achieved more than $55 million in lifetime sales and $13 million in annual revenue.
- Business operations have spanned over 500 locations, including coffee shops, cafés, gyms and homes.
Business profile
Industry | Food and beverage technology |
Product | Plant-based milk machines |
Founders | Ari Tolwin and Joe Savino |
Year of establishment | 2017 |
Shark Tank appearance season | Season 12, episode 18 |
Shark Tank appearance date | 24 March 2021 |
Business valuation at the time of appearance | $40 million |
Business valuation as of January 2026 | $70 million |
Sharks | Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary |
Equity asked | 5% equity for $1 million |
Offer(s) | 2 |
Result | 7% equity for $1 million 3% interest and 3% in advisory shares for an additional $1 million loan |
Inside Numilk's Shark Tank pitch
Ari Tolwin and Joe Savino walked into the shark tank on 24 March 2021 in Season 12, Episode 18, seeking $1 million for a 5% stake in their company, Numilk. Facing five of the reality show's judges, Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Kevin O'Leary, the pair proceeded to share a taste of their freshly made plant-based milk varieties.
Their selling points included offering fresh, whole, dairy-free milk without any additives, achieved by providing custom processing machines for personal and commercial use. At the time, Numilk's flavours included oat and almond milk, with the potential of processing hemp, cashew, and sesame.
Source: Facebook
Mark Cuban, who had the opportunity to operate the Numilk machine, commented on the machine's effectiveness and the taste of the milk.
I'm gonna have the almond milk because I've had it, and I know what it tastes like in comparison. That's fast; that's cool... The milk I just made is incredible; you can just tell it's fresh almonds.
During the pitch, the investors questioned the $20 million valuation implied in the request for $1 million. Tolwin disclosed that despite raising $12 million from outside investors, Numilk incurred $7 million in losses for three years in research and development.
The company's fiscal records showed $40,000 in sales for 2018 against a $2 million loss, followed by $320,000 in sales in 2019, accompanied by a $3 million loss. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in sales led to another $2 million loss against $400,000 in sales.
Source: Facebook
Breaking down Numilk's Shark Tank deals
Three sharks, including Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Lori Greiner, declined to invest for various reasons, leaving only two sharks in the water.
Kevin O'Leary offered the founders a $1 million loan at 9.5% interest to be paid in three years for 5% equity, while Mark Cuban countered with a $2 million package that the entrepreneurs finally accepted.
I’m going to give you $2 million. One million of that is going to be for 7% equity. The other million is going to be a loan at 3% interest, but I get an additional 3% of stock as advisory shares or straight-up equity. But if you don’t use the loan, you don’t have to give me the additional 3%. So in total, if you use all the capital, it’s $2 million for 10%.
Source: Facebook
Update: What happened to the Numilk from Shark Tank?
A year after their Shark Tank appearance, Numilk launched three Kickstarter campaigns, capitalising on their Shark Tank fame. One of the campaigns, dubbed the Shark Tank Family Pack, offered backers the Numilk Home family pack, which came with an extra bottle, 6 milk pouches, and 2 Numilk mugs for $249.
Other campaigns offered Numilk machines for $149 and $199 with different add-ons. By December 2023, nearly 900 backers had pledged $222,353 towards the company.
At the time of this writing, business is still booming for Numilk, with over 500 physical locations, including cafés, groceries, and commercial kitchens. This includes roughly 10% of Lifetime Fitness gyms as of March 2025. Households across the United States use the Numilk countertop model.
Source: Facebook
The company also expanded its product line to include new flavours such as Goldenmilk, which features coconut, maple, turmeric, and ginger, and Moonmilk, which contains maple, dragon fruit, chamomile, and ashwagandha.
Company status as of January 2026 | Private |
Annual revenue | $55 million |
Total revenue as of January 2026 | $13 million |
Commercial locations | 500 |
Partnerships | Hamilton Beach Brands, Lifetime Fitness, CNBC, VegNews |
Which Shark Tank episode was Numilk on?
Numilk appeared on Shark Tank Season 12, Episode 18, which aired on 26 March 2021. The company secured a significant deal that included a $1 million investment and an additional $1 million loan.
Is Numilk still a company?
As of January 2026, Numilk is still active and has successfully sold both commercial and home countertop processing machines.
Who founded Numilk?
Numilk was founded in 2017 by Ari Tolwin and Joe Savino. Armed with an entrepreneurial spirit, napkin sketches, family loans, and maxed-out credit cards, the pair were able to install their first plant milk processing machine in 2018 at Paramus, NJ Whole Foods.
Did Numilk's Shark Tank deal go through?
Numilk's Shark Tank deal went through, with Mark Cuban investing $2 million. Speaking to VegNews soon after their appearance on the show, Ari Tolwin updated backers and fans,
We are excited to partner with Mark because he is truly aligned with our mission to make plant-based what it should be.
What is Numilk from Shark Tank's net worth?
Numilk's exact net worth isn't public, but their valuation grew significantly, approaching $70 million by mid-2025, after securing a $2 million deal with Mark Cuban and achieving over $55 million in lifetime sales and $13 million in annual revenue, focusing now on their home machines after discontinuing in-store kiosks.
Numilk's $2 million Shark Tank deal helped revolutionise food processing and accessibility for vegan and vegetarian consumers in the United States. By January 2026, the company has reached a $70 million valuation and has expanded its product line to include various flavours and machine capabilities.
Legit has recently published an article assessing the status of Crispy Cones after their appearance on Shark Tank. Crispy Cones is a fast-growing dessert company located in twelve states, earning about $1 million in annual revenue.
At the end of their pitch, the company secured a $200,000 deal for 20% equity with Barbara Corcoran. Read on to discover how the product has been faring after its Shark Tank pitch.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
