The trend of creator entrepreneurship has reached Shark Tank. On the long-running U.S. version of the fundraising program, influencer power couple Alix Traeger and Zoya Biglary received an offer for their sustainable seafood alternative Fysh Foods.
Traeger and Biglary’s product attempts to recreate the taste, appearance, and texture of sushi-grade fish without incorporating any animal products. The ultimate goal is to give diners the tastes they enjoy while protecting them from contaminated oceans and harmful fishing practices. Fysh Food’s plant-based eats have already been used in some Los Angeles-area restaurants, where the company’s founding duo has been based for more than a decade.
The Fysh Foods co-founders appeared on the November 8 episode of Shark Tank, which featured investors like Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban among the titular group. Daniel Lubetzky was the shark who chose to take a chance on Traeger and Biglary; he ultimately invested $150,000 in Fysh Foods in exchange for a 30% share in the company.
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Traeger and Biglary developed Fysh Foods after spending their careers immersed in the world of digital food content. Traeger got her start via BuzzFeed’s Tasty brand, where her short-form recipes helped her become a breakout star. Her relationship with Biglary brought a new co-star to her videos — and a Persian flair to her cooking.
By co-founding Fysh Foods, Traeger and Biglary added their names to the list of creators who are getting serious about entrepreneurship. As money flows into the creator economy, influencers are becoming business owners and investors. There have even been some creator-led attempts to recreate the tried-and-true formula of Shark Tank, but the OG version — which has been on air for 15 years — is still unparalleled in terms of its influence.
Despite mixed results for founders and lineup changes, the Shark Tank format is still a launching pad for successful companies and a microcosm of the American economy. Traeger and Biglary’s joint appearance on the show reminds us that creator products are gaining legitimacy in the broader business world, even if some influencer-entrepreneurs are dealing with hiccups.
A $150,000 injection of capital is not the only big win in Traeger’s world. She also has a cookbook called Scratch That due out in April. You can preorder your copy via the website of the book’s publisher, Union Square & Co.
