Here’s What Became of Anytongs After Shark Tank

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Scrambling for tongs? Every chef knows the drill. Whether you’re rushing to serve multiple dishes (nobody warned you about your niece’s new gluten sensitivity) or tossing meat on a barbecue, tongs are in hot demand. Often literally. However, serious “Shark Tank” fans might recall one contestant with a solution: Anytongs. Tog Samphel entered the tank in Season 14 with an impassioned pitch and detachable handles that transformed cutlery into tongs.

After more than a decade of working in the design industry for mega-companies like Facebook, Samphel was drawn to designing a physical product. His argument was simple; forget all the different types of tongs and invest in a singular tool for endless variations instead. That element of versatility was vital for Samphel — Anytongs attached to anything from forks to spoons. While his design background was crucial in prompting his development of this product, the original influence was ultimately family-orientated. Raised in Tibet, Samphel had watched his mother host dinner parties by taping clothing pins to cutlery. He’d identified a niche and needed the funds to reach it.

Samphel entered the tank as a man on a mission. Requesting $150,000 for 20% equity, he strode in, donning a classic black top and boldly gesturing as he introduced his concept. “Tongs are one of the best tools I have in the kitchen,” Samphel explained, “But you know what sucks? It seems I never have enough when I’m cooking or serving food.” The Sharks were immediately engaged, with laughs from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner quietly exclaiming, “That’s smart.” A quick demonstration from Samphel himself turned into each Shark experimenting with their own cutlery and handles. There’s a long list of the absolute best uses for your tongs, and Anytongs clearly helped.

At the time, Anytongs was in its infancy. Samphel had launched a successful Kickstarter campaign and raised $30,000 — far exceeding his initial goal of $10,000. The tongs sold for $19.99 and cost just $2 to manufacture: healthy margins. Yet here’s where Samphel stumbled. 2021’s revenue did not reflect the success of that initial Kickstarter. In fact, Anytongs only achieved $7,000 in sales — something Samphel quickly highlighted was due to the pandemic and manufacturing issues.

He’d developed a new model, but Sharks dropped like flies, with slight tensions in Cuban’s corner after Samphel tried to reason with him after he’d already declared he was out. Eventually, it was just Daymond John standing. He offered $150,000 in exchange for 49% equity, and Samphel (a little reluctantly) accepted.

Anytong’s experience after leaving “Shark Tank” was particularly disappointing. The journey differs for every company after appearing on the show, but there are notable trends. For those without offers, sales tend to spike following the brief publicity (here’s what happened to His & Her Bar after “Shark Tank”). Some entrepreneurs who received backing soar for decades, while others crash and burn regardless. Samphel’s story is frustrating, though, as despite receiving an offer from John on the show, this never materialized after filming.

The exact reasoning was never publicly revealed. Perhaps it was down to a failure in continued negotiations over equity? John and Samphel had butted heads slightly over percentage pedantics, and that 49% stake was an admittedly hefty loss to stomach. John noted feeling it was important to allow Samphel to keep his company, but his offer was still a 29% increase on the founder’s initial request. The entrepreneur had departed the stage in high spirits. However, there was clearly unfinished business.

Despite that rocky departure, Anytongs is still in business in 2025. Samphel remains the face behind his brand and regularly appears in social media advertisements on Instagram and Facebook. He took quick advantage of that “Shark Tank” publicity, and it’s reported that he had a mass sell-out of tongs after the episode aired. Alongside optimizing manufacturing and shipping times, he introduced sales bundles and added an “as seen on ‘Shark Tank'” marker to the company’s website and socials. The concept remains revolutionizing; tongs are clearly one of the kitchen tools you should be using differently.

With that said, Anytongs don’t seem to be sailing entirely smoothly. Social media engagement appears low, with fewer than 1,000 followers on both Instagram and Facebook. Furthermore, a single pack of black tongs has an Amazon rating of just 3.5 and is yet to accrue 200 reviews in total — potentially reflecting the limited sales that prompted most of the Sharks to dip. Most concerning are the reviews themselves, with some customers reporting ill-fitting products that struggle to fit common cutlery sizes.

“This is a nice idea, but execution is poor. Avoid this product unless you’re into worthless kitchen gadgets,” a particularly harsh comment revealed. Others loved it (“Comes in handy and clears a lot of the clutter in your kitchen drawers,” raved another), but it seems luck-of-the-draw with cutlery sizing. Anytongs is still in business, however, it’s fair to suggest the company is still undergoing growing pains.

The future seems simple — at least from a public-facing perspective. Anytongs continues to retail through its official website and third-party platforms, including Amazon. Current packages include two, four, six, and eight packs, with prices rising incrementally between $25 and $105. Notably, the company is slashing its prices (as of April 2025), providing large discounts in a sale of up to 50%. For those debating trying the idea, there’s no time like the present.

Despite the hiccups around cutlery sizing, Anytongs does provide a reasonable 14-day returns policy. When taking the leap, it’s probably wise to check those sizings immediately after receiving an order. But in the meantime? Make the most of this tong-related enlightenment. Have you heard of Alton Brown’s trick for getting a better grip with your tongs? And do you know how to use tongs to help you tell when your pizza crust is cooked? A whole new world of tong hacks is just waiting to be explored.