Ready, Set, Food! Additives Update | Shark Tank Season 11
Entrepreneurs Daniel Zakowski, Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, and Dr. Andy Leitner pitched their company that makes additives to prevent food allergies in infants. Ready, Set, Food! wants to solve the problem of childhood allergies, because they’re on the rise. Additionally, foods like milk, peanut butter, and eggs create trouble for children and parents. Will they get a deal on
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Ready, Set, Food! after
Daniel Zakowski, Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, and Dr. Andy Leitner appeared on
| Shark: | Result: |
| Mark Cuban | Accepted deal for $350,000 for 10% equity |
| Kevin O’Leary | 1)$350,000 for 11% equity
2) $350,000 as a 36-month loan with 8% interest and 4% stake |
| Lori Greiner | $350,000 as a loan at 2% interest, plus 7% equity and a $1 per unit royalty until $500,000 is repaid |
| Barbara Corcoran | No offer |
| Rohan Oza | No offer |
Shark Tank Ready, Set, Food! Update
- Entrepreneurs: Daniel Zakowski, Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, and Dr. Andy Leitner
- Business: Additives to prevent food allergies in infants
- Ask: $350,000 for 7% equity
- Result: $350,000 for 10% equity
- Shark: Mark Cuban
Daniel Zakowski, Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, and Dr. Andy Leitner created Ready, Set, Food! based on clinical trials about allergies in children. Dr. Marks-Cogan explains the science behind the product: if you give infants common allergens like peanuts, eggs, and milk in their formula, they are much less likely to develop an allergy to them later in life.
The only early allergen introduction system that starts at 4 months & introduces the top 3 food allergens – Peanut, Milk, Egg – gradually & one-at-a-time like doctors recommend.
This is essential because these allergies can be deadly. They also make it incredibly hard for kids, because they’ll have special dietary needs at school and beyond.
Ready, Set, Food! has raised nearly $2.5 million in investments, and has done $250,000 in sales in just a few months. Their plans are six months long and can be purchased in one order, but can also be purchased as a subscription for slightly more.
However, Barbara Corcoran doesn’t really think the product does a great job of explaining itself. She also thinks that most parents will need the education to buy into the idea, so she’s out first.
Kevin O’Leary gives them two different options for a deal. Either $350,000 for 11% equity or $350,000 as a 36-month loan at 8% interest and 4% equity in the company.
Lori Greiner also makes an offer. She will give $350,000 as a loan at 2% interest, plus 7% equity and a $1 per unit royalty until she earns $500,000 back.
Then, guest shark Rohan Oza chimes in. He drops out because he feels that the marketing would be a nightmare.
Mark Cuban, on the other hand, thinks that parents might actually do their own research and be searching for something like this. He offers $350,000 for 10% equity, plus 2% in advisory shares.
Further, for each subscription they sell, Mark wants them to also give one away to a low-income family.
The entrepreneurs eventually counter the offer at a straight 9.5% equity, but with no advisory share. After a moment, Mark goes up to 10%, and they all finally agree on the deal.
Is Ready, Set, Food! doing the good work they set out to do, following
Research for our Ready, Set, Food! revealed that the company is still going strong, with $3.5 million in annual revenue. In addition to their early-stage peanut butter, milk, and peanut allergen packets, they’ve added a 9-food option for children eating pureed food.
Allergens covered in this option include peanut, egg, milk, cashew, almond, walnut, sesame, soy, and wheat. Further, you can get on a guided system that helps you learn how to introduce the supplement, and they have over 25,000 regular users of the products.
They also have an option for children that are intolerant to milk and eggs, which only helps to protect against peanut allergies. All of these different options, plus even more, are available on the Ready, Set, Food! website.
You can find the other company updates from Season 11 Episode 12 here:
For even more on companies, and products, be sure to stop by our Season 11 products page!
Andrew Smith is the founder and owner of Shark Tank Recap. He is a longtime Shark Tank fan that has been watching it for years and has seen every episode multiple times. His friends know him as the Shark Tank expert, because he can answer any question about the show! His favorite Shark Tank products are Bertello's pizza oven and Bug Bite Thing!