We could obtain a fee on purchases made out of hyperlinks.

Zoya Biglary and Alix Traeger walked onto Season 16, Episode 4 of “Shark Tank” in late 2024, searching for an investor for his or her firm, Finneato Fysh Meals, and its plant-based uncooked fish replacements. Traeger — a cookbook creator, meals content material creator, and longtime host and producer for BuzzFeed Tasty — and Biglary — a content material creator higher often known as @zoyaroya on Instagram and @thezoyaroya on TikTok, with an extended background in enterprise improvement, social enterprise, and personal cheffing — had been on the lookout for a $150,000 funding for 10% stake in Finneato Fysh Meals. 

However, regardless of being based in 2021, the Sharks appeared to be the primary individuals that they had requested. Each dwelling and dealing in Los Angeles, California, it was Biglary who had the thought to start out Fysh Meals primarily based on her personal expertise not consuming fish. Being in what’s arguably probably the most sushi-obsessed metropolis within the U.S., Biglary discovered herself lacking out at a few of her favourite native eating places, solely being provided choices similar to avocado hand rolls and vegetable tempura. 

So, she took it upon herself to make her personal fish substitute, and by the point the 2 appeared on “Shark Tank,” Fysh Meals’ plant-based seafood alternate options for every thing from sashimi, sushi, and lox bagels had been being served at lots of the preferred L.A. sushi eating places. However the enterprise was nonetheless completely self-funded. As Biglary defined to the Sharks, being a homosexual, first-generation Persian lady, her odds of getting funding the normal manner had been few and much between. Her expertise on “Shark Tank,” nevertheless, proved to be completely different.

After introducing themselves, Traeger and Biglary launched the Sharks to one thing else: the parasites, mercury, and microplastics current within the fish individuals devour. Tack that onto the truth that sure sorts of fish, similar to salmon, are overfished and marine fisheries are accountable for points similar to ocean air pollution and marine habitat destruction, and consuming uncooked fish does not sound like such an awesome concept. 

Plant-based uncooked fish alternate options — made out of a mix of natural greens, seaweed, and fermentation within the case of Fysh Meals — however, solely sound higher. With that, the Sharks had been enthusiastic to chunk right into a serving of the model’s Ceviche, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, and a Smoked Lox bagel, all made utilizing plant-based uncooked fish alternate options from Fysh Meals. The style, primarily based on the Sharks’ responses, was spot on — with Robert Herjavec going so far as to say it might go for the actual factor. 

What did not go for many of the judges, nevertheless, had been the numbers. Biglary shared that Fysh Meals had solely made $50,000 since they began promoting to eating places in 2023, and that her and Traeger had but to faucet into their thousands and thousands of social media followers with any direct-to-consumer gross sales. This led Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban, and Herjavec to faucet out of the deal. Whereas it did take some negotiating, the 2 had been in a position to reel in a cope with Daniel Lubetzky, hooking him with a $150,000 funding for a 30% stake within the firm.

With a “Shark Tank” deal secured, it is protected to say that Finneato Fysh Meals caught simply the fish it needed. Since then, nevertheless, it has been in a position to develop its operations by scaling up its manufacturing, increasing its distribution, and, sure, lastly launching a direct-to-consumer gross sales channel to assist solid an excellent wider web across the founders’ faculty of social media followers. Whereas offered out on the time of writing, followers can go to the Finneato Fysh Meals web site to order a two-pack of its Spicy “Tuna” with sauce, which is full of omega-3s, protein, iron, fiber, and not one of the heavy metals or microplastics present in traditionally-sourced, non-plant-based fish. It’s, however, presently obtainable for buy from Besties Vegan Paradise for $15 a pack.

In different information, Finneato Fysh Meals has additionally continued to capitalize and develop on its founders’ social media presence in addition to the enhance in model consciousness since its look on the present, with numerous collaborations, similar to its Veganuary giveaway with Gimme Seaweed. Finneato Fysh Meals was additionally lately nominated for the Greatest Vegan Seafood class within the 2025 VegNews Veggie Awards, which is an accomplishment in and of itself, contemplating that a few of its competitors had been manufacturers that had raised wherever from $20 to $30 million in comparison with the $150,000 it acquired on “Shark Tank.” Nonetheless, regardless of being a comparatively small firm, Fysh Meals continues to interrupt limitations for plant-based eaters and ladies within the sushi trade.

On condition that the Finneato Fysh Meals’ web site remains to be up and working, even regardless of being offered out of its plant-based Spicy “Tuna,” one can assume that the corporate remains to be in enterprise. In truth, when you might need to go to a restaurant or order the spicy tuna different by a 3rd celebration to attempt any of Finneato Fysh Meals’ plant-based uncooked fish merchandise for your self, you should buy a bottle of Biglary’s saffron oil instantly from Finneato Fysh Meals for $34.99. Whereas not essentially on model, nor talked about wherever within the couple’s pitch on “Shark Tank,” it’s a good signifier that Finneato Fysh Meals is, the truth is, nonetheless in enterprise. That, and the regularly-posted updates on its official Instagram web page, @eatfyshfoods.

Together with often posting recipe concepts such because the Fysh Tuna Tostada and the Fysh Tuna Poke Bowl, Finneato Fysh Meals retains its followers up to date as new eating places and grocery shops begin to carry its plant-based uncooked fish alternate options. Sure areas of L.A.’s trendiest connoisseur grocer, Erewhon, repair rolls out of its plant-based tuna, halibut, and salmon creations on the sushi bar — together with the West Hollywood, Silver Lake, Studio Metropolis, and Venice shops. Koi Restaurant, Kombu Sushi, Santo in Silver Lake, and Kusaki — an award-winning vegan omakase pop-up restaurant in Santa Monica — are only a few examples of institutions that function Fysh Meals’ alternate options on the menu. Finneato Fysh Meals additionally presents occasion catering by its web site.

With simply the Spicy “Tuna” possibility obtainable to order on-line, it’d seem to be Finneato Fysh Meals hasn’t executed a lot to develop its direct-to-consumer plan. However, as Biglary defined within the couple’s pitch to the Sharks, the explanation they’ve targeted a lot of their efforts on business-to-business transactions is as a result of they need to know the product is being ready accurately. The tuna is probably going the one possibility they do promote direct-to-consumer as a result of, actually, all it requires is to be squeezed. That, in flip, does not go away a lot room for client error.

Whereas it will be fabulous to have extra different uncooked fish choices for individuals to make at house, that does not appear to be Finneato Fysh Meals’ aim. In truth, in a 2025 Instagram interview with Yasmin Kahkesh of Changemakers, a non-profit that highlights trade leaders within the well being and meals house, Biglary stated her final aim was to take Finneato Fysh Meals to as many sushi eating places as doable — and evidently’s been the first focus since showing on “Shark Tank.” 

It isn’t only for vegans, in any case, serving as an inclusive possibility for anybody with a fish allergy, or who in any other case cannot eat fish for well being or moral causes. Enterprise apart, Traeger and Biglary have additionally since gotten engaged and moved right into a new house collectively, all within the midst of Traeger publishing her debut cookbook, “Scratch That.” So, it is protected to say the 2 have been busy.