Like Air Puffcorn Update | Shark Tank Season 15

Steve Atieh, along with his sister Allison Lin and brother Kevin Atieh, got tired of snacks like popcorn leaving behind hard kernels and hulls. So they came up with Like Air Puffcorn, a puffed corn snack that skips the kernels entirely. It’s light, crunchy, easy to digest, and has half the calories of regular popcorn. Will the sharks get to take a bite out of a deal? Find out in our Like Air Puffcorn update and pitch recap.

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

Allison, Steve, and Kevin entered Shark Tank Season 15, seeking $300,000 for 3.5% equity in their snack food brand. After their pitch, they left with a deal from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner for $300,000 for 10% equity.

In terms of a Like Air Puffcorn update, the company continued to grow by launching new flavours, winning industry awards, and building retail partnerships across all 50 states.

Shark:	Result:
Mark Cuban & Lori Greiner	Accepted deal for $300,000 for 10% equity
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Barbara Corcoran	No offer

Shark Tank’s Like Air Puffcorn Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Allison Lin, Steve Atieh, and Kevin Atieh
• Business: Snack food
• Ask: $300,000 for 3.5% equity
• Result: $300,000 for 10% equity
• Sharks: Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner

Co-founders Allison and Steve, along with their CFO and cousin Kevin, realized that America is a snacking nation.

Most snacks either come with too much guilt or too many hard-to-pronounce ingredients.

That’s why they created a popcorn-like snack food called Like Air Puffcorn.

Unlike regular popcorn, Like Air has no hard kernels, no artificial ingredients, and no allergens. It’s made from non-GMO corn, is gluten-free, and has only 50 calories per cup.

Like Air Puffcorn comes in four flavors: Classic, White Cheddar, Cinnamon Bun, and Pancake.

Further, their two sweet flavors actually have less than half the amount of the leading kettle corn brands on the market.

At this point in the pitch, the sharks tried the samples. Kevin O’Leary called it the best low-calorie snack he’d seen on the show in 15 years.

When asked how they make it, Steve explained their process. They grind the corn, mix in oil and water, then puff it through a machine.

Allison shared the inspiration behind the brand. After having her first daughter, she searched for a clean, safe snack her family could enjoy.

When she couldn’t find one, she teamed up with Steve, who had just exited a pharmaceutical company. Kevin brought startup and investment banking experience to the table.

Next, they broke down the costs. Each bag of the Puffcorn retails for $3.99, wholesales for $2.50, and costs $0.88 to make.

Steve added that the company just invested in their own dedicated production line at a new co-packer in Chicago. They also bought the machinery, which cost them about $2.5 million

As far as investments go, they raised $800,000 in 2018. Most recently, they raised another $3.5 million in a recent growth round at a $23.5 million valuation.

Lori Griener asked what they wanted from a shark. Allison said they needed a strategic partner to compete in a highly competitive snack market.

Mark Cuban asked what was next. Steve explained that they had been on Kroger shelves for over a year without being pulled and were working on expanding into Albertsons.

In terms of traction, the numbers were solid. They made $100,000 in sales in 2020. That jumped to $2.5 million in 2021 and more than $5 million in 2022.

For the current year of filming, they projected over $10 million in sales.

Mark questioned whether they came on the show mainly for exposure.

Mr. Wonderful said he liked the team but didn’t move for 3.5% equity, so he was out.

Barbara Corcoran mentioned her past experience investing in Pipcorn.

Although things started well, other investors eventually diluted her stake. She didn’t want to repeat that experience and passed.

Robert Herjavec wasn’t excited about the 3.5% either. He said he was on Shark Tank to make a bigger impact, so he went out next.

However, Lori offered $300,000 for 7.5% non-dilutable equity. Steve countered with 7.5% dilutable.

Lori came back with 10% dilutable equity, and Steve asked Mark to join in. Mark agreed.

Ultimately, Allison, Steve, and Kevin accepted the deal with Mark and Lori for $300,000 for 10% equity.

Let’s find out where the company stands now in our Like Air Puffcorn update.

Shark Tank Like Air Puffcorn Update

We were able to interview Allison, Steven, and Kevin for our Like Air update and are happy to report that things are going great for the company!

“We saw success early on with Like Air and aimed to expand it to a national audience,” Allison told us. “Shark Tank is the perfect experience to do so,” Kevin added.

While they weren’t able to share sales numbers, the trio told us that they’d seen a “positive impact from the show.” 

Further, this has led to new retail partners across the company and more direct sales from their new website.

As for working with the sharks, Steven told us, “The offer from the sharks was accepted during the episode, and working with them has been very encouraging.”

“For the first time ever, 100 calorie single serve bags are available for shipping on our website,” Allison told us.

It’s been over a year since we reached out to the entrepreneurs. And yes, we have circled back for another Like Air Puffcorn update.

We found that there is no official confirmation that the deal with Mark and Lori closed.

However, in the days following the episode, Like Air went on to win first place at the 2023 Albertsons Innovation Launchpad, which led to their snacks launching in 1,500 Albertsons stores by 2024.

They also earned a Walmart Open Call “golden ticket”. This paved the way for national availability online and in Walmart locations.

Their snacks are now stocked in major retailers including Kroger, Meijer, HEB, ShopRite, Wegmans, Stop & Shop, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club.

Further, they launched a Flavor Drop program with rotating limited-edition flavors like Parmesan Garlic and Thanksgiving Dinner.

In 2025, their Classic Puffcorn flavor won a Good Housekeeping Best Snack Award, and their brand was named No. 55 on the Inc. 5000 list.

Co-founder Allison Lin was recognized in March 2025 on Inc.’s Female Founder 500 list.

Want a melt-in-your-mouth snack? You can order directly from their official website. Be sure to follow their Instagram for new flavors and giveaways.

The future looks very bright for the guys, and we can’t wait to watch them grow. If we get any more news on a Like Air update, we will let you know.

Before you go, check out our other company updates from Season 15 Episode 11 by following the links below!

• The Table Tyke Update
• Poplight Update
• The Duo Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 15 products.