Shark Tank Update: What happened to Sanaia Applesauce after the show?

While Shark Tank season 16 is ongoing, fans are eager to know the business status of the products from the previous installments. One such company which left with a deal from Mark Cuban in 2018 was Sanaia Applesauce.

Keisha Smith-Jeremie, the brain behind the company, appeared on Shark Tank season 10 episode 2, which aired on October 14, 2018. She came asking for $150,000 for 15% equity for her applesauce company. She catered to adult needs for applesauce, unlike other businesses which were centered towards kids' needs.

She left the season with her ask, $150,000, but instead of the desired 15% equity, she had to give up a 25% stake in her business in return for the investment by Mark Cuban. Despite hitting several hurdles, Keisha has continued with her business and Sanaia Applesauce products are still being sold on the company's website (sanaia.myshopify.com).

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Overview of Sanaia Applesauce's Shark Tank pitch

When Keisha arrived on Shark Tank, she said that each jar of Sanaia Applesauce came with additional baked wedges of apples in each jar. When she passed her products to the Sharks for testing, Barbara Corcoran commented that it didn't taste processed.

In terms of marketing, Keisha revealed that the company was fairly new because it was in business only 6 months before she appeared on Shark Tank. Her sales during that time amounted to $40,000 and it came from people who were looking for plant-based products or were looking to transition to healthier products.

At the time of filming, Keisha was supposed to launch four flavors of applesauce glass jars, out of which each glass jar retailed for $1.33, therefore, she sold each unit for $4.12. She sold the pack of all four flavors for $16. She said she put her own $250,000 to kick off her business.

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What Shark Tank panelists said about Sanaia Applesauce?

Founder Keisha Smith-Jeremie (Image via sanaia.myshopify.com)

While Kevin O'Leary thought it was expensive, Mark Cuban suggested she cut the costs by using paper packaging rather than glass. Lori said she was out because she didn't think it was her type of investment. Barbara said:

"The kind of offer I'd have to make you I'm afraid, I'd insult you."

Yet she put her offer through, which was $150,000 for 75% equity in her company, which Keisha declined. Robert also opted out because he didn't like her packaging and presentation at the trade shows. However, Mark Cuban offered her $150,000 for a 15% stake and she took the deal.

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Updates on Sanaia Applesauce after its appearance on Shark Tank season 10 episode 2

Lychee Applesauce (Image via sanaia.myshopify.com)

After Sanaia Applesauce secured a deal from Mark Cuban in the show, the deal was unfortunately never finalized outside the show. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, Sanaia Applesauce went out of business. During an interview with Business Insider on February 11, 2021, founder Keisha Smith-Jeremie said:

"That was a huge learning curve for us, between COVID-19 and having production challenges, we sold out of the product by March."

However, as soon as the pandemic came under control, Keisha announced on her Facebook in April 2022, that she was relaunching her brand. Currently, her website sells five different flavors of Applesauce, including, Sweetginger, Guava, Lychee, Tamarind, and Hibiscus. Each of these flavors is sold for $5 each, except Tamarind, which goes for $7.

As Keisha promised on the Shark Tank stage, her products are still made from organic produce and are freshly made. The website states that the applesauce is made fresh and is shipped within 5 days of order. Howewer, the brand is not available on social media.

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For more updates on Shark Tank, fans can follow the show's official Instagram page- @sharktankabc.