Hiccup Update | Shark Tank Season 16

At a marathon in California, Kristina Smithe saw piles of single-use cups thrown on the streets as runners quickly grabbed water and tossed them away. Seeing how much waste this created, she came up with Hiccup. It’s a reusable cup service that provides cups for races, collects them afterward, and cleans them for reuse. This helps keep races cleaner and reduces waste. Will the sharks support her idea? Let’s find out in our Hiccup update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Hiccup after Shark Tank.

Kristina Smithe entered Shark Tank Season 16, seeking $200,000 for 10% equity in her silicone cups business. Unfortunately, after her pitch, she was not able to secure a deal with any of the sharks.

In terms of a Hiccup update, the company has successfully kept over 700,400 cups out of landfills and recycling facilities. Further, Hiccup has expanded its services to multiple states, providing reusable silicone cups at major races like the St. Pete Run Fest and Publix Half Marathon.

Shark	Result
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer
Daniel Lubetzky	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer

Shark Tank Hiccup Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Kristina Smithe
• Business: Silicone Cups
• Ask: $200,000 for 10% equity
• Result: None
• Sharks: None

Kristina wanted to solve a problem she had witnessed firsthand, so she entered Shark Tank, seeking an investment for her company, Hiccup.

Hiccup offers a solution for reducing waste at marathons and running events. It replaces disposable paper cups with reusable silicone cups at hydration stations, helping to cut down on trash and make events more environmentally friendly.

She explained that the money would expand her reusable cup service and establish partnerships with major races. Her goal is to move closer to a more sustainable future for the running industry.

Kristina explained that they delivered the silicone cups to the event for runners to use during the race.

After, the cups are collected, cleaned, and reused for future races. This system keeps waste to a minimum and makes cleanup easier for organizers.

Each Hiccup cup costs $0.15 to rent, but after renting 10,000 cups, the price drops to 10 cents per cup. Paper cups, on the other hand, cost about $0.07 each.

Kristian shared that her cups are often rented in large quantities, usually by the thousands.

Last year, she did $67,000 in sales. Her biggest single event was a race that used 50,000 cups, earning $6,500 in revenue.

Kristina has already tested her service at major marathons, like the Chicago Marathon, using her own inventory.

Big events like the Boston, Chicago, or London marathons can use up to 2 million cups in one event, she revealed to the sharks.

Right now, Kristina runs the entire business, managing everything from washing the cups to handling deliveries.

While she hasn’t landed any big sponsorship deals yet, she sees a lot of potential in working with drink or snack companies to help increase her revenue.

Robert Herjavec says he admires Kristina’s efforts and her care for the environment. However, he feels the business is not scalable enough. He exits the negotiations.

Lori Greiner says she appreciates Kristina’s grit and determination but doesn’t believe the business is the right fit for her. She declines to invest.

Guest shark Daniel Lubetzky finds Kristina’s entrepreneurial journey inspiring but believes the business lacks scalability. He opts out.

Kevin O’Leary says he strongly dislikes the business model and thinks it’s not worth pursuing further. He exits the negotiations.

Mark Cuban says the idea makes sense and acknowledges the need for it. However, he doesn’t see the market size as justifying an investment and drops out.

With no offer from any of the sharks, Kristina is forced to leave without a deal.

Let’s get a Hiccup update and see what Kristina is up to since her appearance on Shark Tank.

Shark Tank Hiccup Update

Our Hiccup update found that despite not getting a deal, Kristina has kept pushing forward. Further, Hiccup has successfully kept over 700,400 cups out of landfills and recycling plants.

Since Shark Tank, Hiccup has expanded across multiple states, providing reusable 8 oz. silicone cups at various races.

Notably, she has developed a patent-pending dishwasher capable of cleaning 1,500 cups per cycle using only 30 gallons of water.

The company has partnered with numerous races nationwide. These include the St. Pete Run Fest Half Marathon, Publix Half Marathon, and Croom Zoom 75K.

Our research on the Hiccup update found that the company was part of Florida’s first zero-waste race, where their reusable cups were utilized to minimize environmental impact.

Once the dust settles, we will be back with another Hiccup update

For more updates from the Shark Tank Season 16 Episode 8, be sure to check the links below:

• Bro Glo Update
• TripleLite Update
• PhoLicious Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 16 products.