MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

After all Sharks backed out, Mark Cuban gives dessert hummus founder a $600K lifeline on ‘Shark Tank'

Mark Cuban saw the potential and grabbed the deal on ‘Shark Tank’ that offered hummus desserts.

‘Shark Tank’ has seen many surprising pitches, but Makenzie Marzluff’s was truly finger-licking good. She appeared in Season 9 of the business reality show. At the time, she asked for $600,000 in exchange for 12% equity, backed by impressive numbers. She introduced the Sharks to desserts made with hummus. Her product satisfied sweet cravings while still being healthy, something that stood out in her pitch. For context, hummus is a traditional Lebanese dish made from chickpeas.

Marzluff’s company, Delighted By, presented several dips that were, interestingly, sweet rather than savory. She came up with the idea at a party while making a low-carb sweet dip, according to Marzluff. She realized its potential when everyone at the party loved it. Sales figures showed her product was a massive hit. Marzluff said she started the company just 13 months before appearing on ‘Shark Tank’ and had already made $1 million in sales. According to Market Realist, Marzluff’s projected sales for the year were $1.5 million. Despite impressive figures, investors felt she asked for too much.

Kevin O’Leary pointed out that her $5 million valuation was 33 times her projected annual sales. While Marzluff still believed in her product and its worth, no one from the panel saw it that way, even though they loved the product and were amazed by the sales figures. Moving further, Lori Greiner and guest shark Alex Rodriguez did not like the amount Marzluff was seeking and chose to back out. Barbara Corcoran said she didn’t believe Marzluff could lead a team, build relationships, or grow the business, according to the outlet. The Shark went ahead with her instincts and backed out as well from the deal.

This left Marzluff with only two Sharks, O’Leary and Mark Cuban. Towards the end of the episode, O’Leary was ready to pay the $600,000 but as a loan at 11% interest. He also mentioned that he would only take 6% of the company. Mark Cuban offered to match her request for $600,000, but for 25% equity instead of 12%. Though it was a large ask, Marzluff accepted after Cuban promised to help her build the business every step of the way.

As per Food Republic, Marzluff sold her company online in 2021, after she found out that a number of similar products were affecting the exclusivity of her brand. She later expanded the product line to include jam and vegan, gluten-free brownies. In 2022, Delighted By began offering DIY kits so customers could make dessert hummus at home.