Wild Earth Shark Tank Net Worth 2023
Wild Earth is requesting a $550,000 investment in return for a 5% stake in the business, which suggests an $11 million valuation.
During his appearance on Shark Tank, Wild Earth accepted an offer from Mark of a lower investment amount of $550,000 for 10%, thus suggesting a $5.5 million valuation.
Since then, the company has undergone significant growth and raised additional capital; it is estimated to generate several million dollars per year in gross revenue.
Consumers can conveniently access Wild Earth’s products through its official website or Amazon marketplace.
What is Wild Earth?
Wild Earth is a brand of dog food and treats that are high in protein and made with koji, a renewable and eco-friendly fungus superfood.
They avoid using animal ingredients, antibiotics, growth hormones, artificial preservatives, flavors, colors, additives, fillers, and other unknown substances in their Good Protein Dog Snacks.
To promote healthy gut microbiomes in dogs, their veterinarian-developed recipe includes omega fatty acids, digestion-enhancing enzymes, and prebiotics.
In August 2017, Wild Earth was founded by a team of scientists and biotech entrepreneurs, including Ryan Bethencourt, Dr. Ron Shigeta, Abril Estrada, and Kristin Wuhrman, with the goal of disrupting the pet food industry by offering clean and sustainable protein sources.
The team was inspired by research conducted at UCLA, which showed that pet food production in the United States created the equivalent of 64 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, accounting for between 25% and 30% of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the country.
In March 2018, Wild Earth launched its first product made with human-grade koji, a fungus traditionally used in Japan to ferment soybeans for soy sauce. The company worked with PETA to ensure that their koji-based food was suitable for dogs, and conducted cage-free clinical studies with volunteer animals to test palatability and digestibility.
In October 2018, Wild Earth launched their first consumer product, the Good Protein Dog Snacks, which are the world’s first dog treats made entirely from lab-grown koji protein.
What happen to Wild Earth at the Shark Tank Pitch?
Ryan Bethencourt, the founder of Wild Earth from Berkeley, California, appeared on the 16th episode of Shark Tank season 10 in March 2019 to pitch his sustainable vegan pet food.
He was seeking a $550,000 investment for a 5% stake in his business, which would value the company at $11 million. Since the company was a startup, Ryan didn’t have any sales figures to share with the Sharks.
The cost of creating a pack of snacks was $3.50, while the selling price was $12.99. The Sharks were impressed with Ryan but not with his high valuation of $11 million.
They were also concerned about the lack of sales and the fact that Ryan only owned 20% of the company due to the venture capital he had received.
Kevin left the deal because of the absence of sales, and Lori quickly followed suit. Matt thought the valuation was too high, and therefore he opted out as well. Daymond, who has experience in the pet food industry, cautioned Ryan not to reveal the valuation in public and also declined to invest.
Mark was the only Shark who remained interested in investing. He asked Ryan about his plans to expand the business and was convinced when Ryan shared his idea to sell the snacks with a premium kibble priced at $40 per bag.
Mark offered $550,000 for a 10% stake, and Ryan attempted to negotiate, but Mark stood firm. Ryan ultimately agreed to the deal, even if he had to pay it out of his own equity.
Wild Earth after the Shark Tank Pitch
After their appearance on Shark Tank, Wild Earth expanded their product range to include three different dog supplements: Hip & Joint, Digestion & Immunity, and Skin & Coat. Each jar contains 60 Peanut Butter Flavour Chews and costs $30.
As of June 2019, their kibble product was still unavailable, but the dog snacks were being sold on Amazon. Wild Earth decided to focus on dog food rather than cat food for the time being.
Although their arrangement with Mark ended, his venture capital firm, Radical Investments, partnered with VegInvest, Felicis Ventures, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, Mars Petcare, Bits x Bites, VECTR, and P.O.V. to invest $11 million in Wild Earth in May 2019. This investment brought their total venture debt to $16 million.
The kibble product became available on Amazon in June 2021. Wild Earth now generates $21 million in annual revenue, and in November 2021, they announced an additional $23 million in funding.
Wild Earth Net Worth
Wild Earth requesting a $550,000 investment in return for a 5% stake in his business. $550,000 in exchange for a 5% stake in his firm.
This demonstrates an $11 million valuation but at the Shark Tank he accepted an offer from Mark of %550,000 for 10% thus a $5.5 million valuation.
Wild Earth Competitors
Top Competitors of Wild Earth are categorized as follows;
Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food, SuperMeat, vegconomist. PEDIGREE Foundation, Nature’s Variety, Ollie, Fromm Family Foods and Bil-Jac.
Wild Earth FAQS
What Wild Earth is?
Wild Earth is a brand of foods and snacks for pets that provides a healthy and sustainable alternative to meat-based options.
The first product to hit the market, Wild Earth’s Good Protein Dog Snacks, is vegan and made entirely of lab-grown koji protein.
What are the ingredients in Wild Earth?
Dried Yeast, Chickpeas, Oats, Peas, Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Sweet Potato, Flaxseed Meal, Sunflower Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavour and Marine Microalgae.
Is Wild Earth dog food legit?
They are FDA approved and pass the AAFCO guidelines.
How are Wild Earth’s products made?
A blend of yeast and soybean protein is used to grow the koji fungus. The blended ingredients are fermented to create the meat-like texture of Koji, which is then mixed with other ingredients.
How much does Wild Earth cost?
A pack of snacks costs $3.50 to create and costs $12.99 to sell.
Is Wild Earth dog-friendly?
Wild Earth’s natural clean protein content is 31%, exceeding AAFCO requirements. This provides the best digestive assistance for their dog.
Additionally, it contains all ten necessary amino acids. Wild Earth prioritizes their dog’s wellbeing.
What happened to Wild Earth dog food on Shark Tank?
The kibble is still unavailable as of June 2019. Amazon sells the snacks. For the time being, they have abandoned the cat food concept in favour of dog food.
What happened to Wild Earth after Shark Tank?
Wild Earth exited the Shark Tank with a valuation of $5.5 million, but has since raised a total of $16.2 million in funding at an undisclosed valuation from a variety of investors, including VegInvest, Stray Dog Capital, Felicis Ventures, Blue Horizon, Babel Ventures, EverHope Capital, Macro Ventures, and Aera.
Does Wild Earth dog food contain taurine?
It contains additional taurine, DHC, and carnitine.
Is Wild Earth dog food made in the USA?
All of the items, materials, and formulations are obtained and manufactured in the United States.
Can puppies eat Wild Earth?
Wild Earth is ideal for pups and older dogs alike, since it contains calcium carbonate, which helps to build bones, teeth, and joints.
Additionally, there are marine microalgae, a form of omega-3 fatty acid that assists in the proper functioning of their dog’s brain and neurological system.
Is Wild Earth Complete protein dog food AAFCO approved?
Yes, Wild Earth Complete Protein dog food satisfies the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Maintenance dietary requirements.
Is Wild Earth grain-free dog food?
No, the only dog food recipe offered by Wild Earth incorporates oats as a key component. However, it is free of maize, wheat, and soy components.
Is Mark Cuban the owner of Wild Earth?
Wild Earth, a California-based business, just raised $23 million from an all-star team lead by Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban, vegan actor Paul Wesley, and a few investment companies.
Where is Wild Earth dog food based?
Wild Earth was created in Berkeley, California and Durham, North Carolina by IndioBio co-founder Ryan Bethencourt.
Is Wild Earth vegetarian dog food?
Wild Earth Healthy High-Protein Formula Dry Dog Food Developed by a Veterinarian for All Adult Dog Breeds.
How is Wild Earth funded?
Wild Earth has received funding from 29 investors, including Bitburger Ventures and OneVentures.
Is Wild Earth safe?
Meat is frequently used as the protein component in factory-produced pet food.
However, as humans, they can appreciate that factory-farmed beef is untrustworthy.
As a result, Wild Earth formulates all of its products using components derived from naturally cultivated plants. They are FDA approved and meet AAFCO standards.
Do vets recommend Wild Earth?
However, unlike many other plant-based dog food brands, Wild Earth dog food offers a high protein value of over 30%, which is critical for a dog’s diet; most doctors recommend a protein content of at least 25%.
What is net worth of Ryan Bethencourt?
Ryan Bethencourt has a net worth of over $2 million.
