Ka-Pop is a food business that makes snacks from ancient grains. Sorghum is specially used to make this snack product. This snacks company was founded in 2017 by Dustin Finkel. Dustin worked in many Foods and Finance companies after becoming a graduate in Marketing and Finance.
The journey of Dustin’s food business starts with a small story. When Dustin was a fitness instructor, he was looking for a healthy chip but couldn’t find it. There were some ancient grains in his house which he used to experiment with in the kitchen to make chips.
When he let his 6-year-old son finicky eat it, he liked the taste. Dustin started this business after taking feedback on snacks from his friends and family.
Within a few months of starting the business, they made Ka-Pop Chips available at Rouses Markets, Whole Foods, Mom and Pop Stores. Dustin appeared on Shark Tank Season 11 Episode 12 to make his business big and asked the sharks for $350,000 for 5% equity at $7 Million Valuation.
What Is Ka-Pop!?
Ka-Pop is a snack business that makes gluten-free, non-GMO, kosher, and vegan chips using ancient grains. Mainly ancient grains sorghum is used to make the product.
Calcium and iron are found in Sorghum which is very beneficial for health. They have chips available in 4 different flavors Dairy-Free Cheddar Puffs, Cinnamon Churro Puffs, Sweet and salty Kettle Puffs, and BBQ Puffs.
These snacks are available at many retail stores like Ralphs, Whole Foods, Kroger, etc. The product is also available on Amazon and the company website.
| Company Name | Ka-Pop! | |
| Founder | Dustin Finkel | |
| Founded | Apr 2017 | |
| Product | Non-GMO, Air-popped, Ancient Grain Chips | |
| Asked For | $350k for 5% equity | |
| Final Deal | No Deals | |
| Shark | No Sharks | |
| Episode (Shark Tank USA) | S11 E12 | |
| Air Date | Jan 19, 2020 | |
| Business Status | In Business | |
| Website | Visit Website | |
| Headquarters | Denver, Colorado, US | |
| Lifetime Worth (Sales) | $11M *estimated | |
| Buy and Watch | Buy Now | Amazon Prime |
Another Shark Tank Pitch
Who Is The Founder Of Ka-Pop?
Dustin Finkel is the founder and CEO of Ka-pop company. After studying finance from Emory University, Dustin earned an MBA in Marketing from Northwestern University. After working in a finance company for many years, he worked in different positions in the food industry.
In 2014, he started MacGray, LLC Consulting Firm. He provides leadership, strategy, marketing, financial, and valuation services to businesses at his firm.
How Was The Shark Tank Pitch Of Ka-Pop?
After entering the Shark Tank, Dustin asked the sharks for $350k for 5% equity. Rohan Oza really liked the product.
There were $150k in sales in 2018 and Dustin estimates $1.2 million in sales in 2019. The head of Whole Foods Grocery, Founder of Boulder Brands, and Founder of Pacific Foods has invested in this company.
Dustin had invested $50k in this business and the investor had invested $943k in the first pre-revenue round. After the first round, Dustin has a 67% stake in the company.
All the sharks went out but Kevin O’Leary offered $350k for 17.5% equity at a $2 million valuation. Dustin countered with $500k for 10% equity at a $5M Valuation. Kevin refused.
What Happened To Ka-Pop! After Shark Tank?
Ka-pop! Did not get funding on Shark Tank. Dustin did not negotiate the deal with Kevin, the deal could not be done due to the high valuation.
Within 9 days of this episode of Shark Tank airing, all the snacks of the company were sold out. In 2021, this company merged with another food company Bubba’s Fine Foods and after this merger, Awakened Foods was born which is a food brand.
What’s new on Ka-Pop
Last Update: September, 2023
By September 2023, the products of this company will be available at +1815 retail stores of Kroger, King Soopers, City Market, Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, QFC, etc. This year’s annual revenue is $5 million and it is expected that the growth of the company will increase gradually.
Ka-Pop Shark Tank Update
There has not been an updated segment of Shark Tank regarding this business. When the update segment comes you will get the information in this section. The annual revenue of this company is $5 million in 2023.
What Is the Net Worth of Ka Pop?
The Ka Pop company has an estimated net worth of $4.5 million. The snack food industry is very brutal and there are many players in this industry who are competing. It will not be easy for a new brand to achieve success in this industry. According to the data for 2021, the market size of the global snacks food product is $557.85 billion.
Annual Revenue by Years
Note: This report is based on our research and data so far. In this, we are only estimating the annual revenue.
| Years | Annual Revenue |
| 2023 | $5M *estimated |
| 2017-22 | $6M *estimated |
Funding Reports to Date!
| Years | Funding Amount | Investor |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
Is Ka Pop Still In Business?
Many people are consuming the snacks of this company and gradually the company is launching new flavors to expand the product.
The official address of this business is Denver, Colorado, United States and it employs 5-10 people according to LinkedIn.
Yes, Ka Pop is Still in business as of September 2023.
