Here’s What Became of Finneato Fysh Foods Following Shark Tank

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Zoya Biglary and Alix Traeger walked onto Season 16, Episode 4 of “Shark Tank” in late 2024, seeking an investor for their company, Finneato Fysh Foods, and its plant-based raw fish replacements. Traeger — a cookbook author, food content creator, and longtime host and producer for BuzzFeed Tasty — and Biglary — a content creator better known as @zoyaroya on Instagram and @thezoyaroya on TikTok, with a long background in business development, social enterprise, and private cheffing — were looking for a $150,000 investment for 10% stake in Finneato Fysh Foods. 

But, despite being founded in 2021, the Sharks seemed to be the first people they had asked. Both living and working in Los Angeles, California, it was Biglary who had the idea to start Fysh Foods based on her own experience not eating fish. Being in what is arguably the most sushi-obsessed city in the U.S., Biglary found herself missing out at some of her favorite local restaurants, only being offered options such as avocado hand rolls and vegetable tempura. 

So, she took it upon herself to make her own fish substitute, and by the time the two appeared on “Shark Tank,” Fysh Foods’ plant-based seafood alternatives for everything from sashimi, sushi, and lox bagels were being served at many of the most popular L.A. sushi restaurants. But the business was still entirely self-funded. As Biglary explained to the Sharks, being a gay, first-generation Persian woman, her odds of getting funding the traditional way were few and far between. Her experience on “Shark Tank,” however, proved to be different.

After introducing themselves, Traeger and Biglary introduced the Sharks to something else: the parasites, mercury, and microplastics present in the fish people consume. Tack that onto the fact that certain varieties of fish, such as salmon, are overfished and marine fisheries are responsible for issues such as ocean pollution and marine habitat destruction, and eating raw fish doesn’t sound like such a great idea. 

Plant-based raw fish alternatives — made from a blend of organic vegetables, seaweed, and fermentation in the case of Fysh Foods — on the other hand, only sound better. With that, the Sharks were enthusiastic to bite into a serving of the brand’s Ceviche, Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, and a Smoked Lox bagel, all made using plant-based raw fish alternatives from Fysh Foods. The taste, based on the Sharks’ responses, was spot on — with Robert Herjavec going as far as to say it could pass for the real thing. 

What didn’t pass for most of the judges, however, were the numbers. Biglary shared that Fysh Foods had only made $50,000 since they started selling to restaurants in 2023, and that her and Traeger had yet to tap into their millions of social media followers with any direct-to-consumer sales. This led Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban, and Herjavec to tap out of the deal. While it did take some negotiating, the two were able to reel in a deal with Daniel Lubetzky, hooking him with a $150,000 investment for a 30% stake in the company.

With a “Shark Tank” deal secured, it’s safe to say that Finneato Fysh Foods caught just the fish it wanted. Since then, however, it has been able to grow its operations by scaling up its production, expanding its distribution, and, yes, finally launching a direct-to-consumer sales channel to help cast an even wider net around the founders’ school of social media followers. While sold out at the time of writing, fans can visit the Finneato Fysh Foods website to order a two-pack of its Spicy “Tuna” with sauce, which is packed with omega-3s, protein, iron, fiber, and none of the heavy metals or microplastics found in traditionally-sourced, non-plant-based fish. It is, on the other hand, currently available for purchase from Besties Vegan Paradise for $15 a pack.

In other news, Finneato Fysh Foods has also continued to capitalize and expand on its founders’ social media presence as well as the boost in brand awareness since its appearance on the show, with various collaborations, such as its Veganuary giveaway with Gimme Seaweed. Finneato Fysh Foods was also recently nominated for the Best Vegan Seafood category in the 2025 VegNews Veggie Awards, which is an accomplishment in and of itself, considering that some of its competition were brands that had raised anywhere from $20 to $30 million compared to the $150,000 it received on “Shark Tank.” Still, despite being a relatively small company, Fysh Foods continues to break barriers for plant-based eaters and women in the sushi industry.

Given that the Finneato Fysh Foods’ website is still up and running, even despite being sold out of its plant-based Spicy “Tuna,” one can assume that the company is still in business. In fact, while you might have to visit a restaurant or order the spicy tuna alternative through a third party to try any of Finneato Fysh Foods’ plant-based raw fish products for yourself, you can purchase a bottle of Biglary’s saffron oil directly from Finneato Fysh Foods for $34.99. While not necessarily on brand, nor mentioned anywhere in the couple’s pitch on “Shark Tank,” it is a good signifier that Finneato Fysh Foods is, in fact, still in business. That, and the regularly-posted updates on its official Instagram page, @eatfyshfoods.

Along with frequently posting recipe ideas such as the Fysh Tuna Tostada and the Fysh Tuna Poke Bowl, Finneato Fysh Foods keeps its followers updated as new restaurants and grocery stores start to carry its plant-based raw fish alternatives. Certain locations of L.A.’s trendiest gourmet grocer, Erewhon, fix rolls out of its plant-based tuna, halibut, and salmon creations at the sushi bar — including the West Hollywood, Silver Lake, Studio City, and Venice stores. Koi Restaurant, Kombu Sushi, Santo in Silver Lake, and Kusaki — an award-winning vegan omakase pop-up restaurant in Santa Monica — are just a few examples of establishments that feature Fysh Foods’ alternatives on the menu. Finneato Fysh Foods also offers event catering through its website.

With just the Spicy “Tuna” option available to order online, it might seem like Finneato Fysh Foods hasn’t done much to develop its direct-to-consumer plan. But, as Biglary explained in the couple’s pitch to the Sharks, the reason they’ve focused so much of their efforts on business-to-business transactions is because they want to know the product is being prepared correctly. The tuna is likely the one option they do sell direct-to-consumer because, really, all it requires is to be squeezed. That, in turn, doesn’t leave much room for consumer error.

While it would be fabulous to have more alternative raw fish options for people to make at home, that doesn’t seem to be Finneato Fysh Foods’ goal. In fact, in a 2025 Instagram interview with Yasmin Kahkesh of Changemakers, a non-profit that highlights industry leaders in the health and food space, Biglary said her ultimate goal was to take Finneato Fysh Foods to as many sushi restaurants as possible — and it seems that’s been the primary focus since appearing on “Shark Tank.” 

It’s not just for vegans, after all, serving as an inclusive option for anyone with a fish allergy, or who otherwise can’t eat fish for health or ethical reasons. Business aside, Traeger and Biglary have also since gotten engaged and moved into a new home together, all in the midst of Traeger publishing her debut cookbook, “Scratch That.” So, it’s safe to say the two have been busy.