More humans these days are beginning to include a vegan lifestyle. Plant-primarily based totally meat merchandise are in excessive demand, so Atlas Monroe formulated a vegan fried bird, which become pitched on Shark Tank via way of means of Deborah and Jonathan Torres. Rohan Oza and Mark Cuban provided to shop for the whole commercial enterprise however have been rejected. As of 2022, Atlas Monroe is worth $7 million.
About the Founders
Deborah and Jonathan Torres are husband and spouse from San Diego, California. Though it become the 2 of them who pitched the concept to Shark Tank, it become Deborah who become basically concerned withinside the advent in their groundbreaking dish.
She grew up in Silicon Valley, however neither of her dad and mom is initially from the United States. Her father is from Guyana, and her mother spent tons of her children withinside the United Kingdom.
Because of this, she become raised consuming worldwide cuisine. Her grandmothers have been additionally eating place owners, and fried bird become a full-size a part of their own circle of relatives tradition.
Founding the Company
After receiving a kind 2 diabetes diagnosis, Deborah’s father needed to quick and completely modify his food plan in an effort to halt the development of his condition. The worried daughter took subjects into her personal hands.
She noticed a documentary titled Simply Raw, wherein humans with diabetes attempted a uncooked vegan food plan for a month and were given wholesome results. So, Deborah taught herself to put together vegan food.
After her dad’s nation were given better, she experimented via way of means of making plant-primarily based totally meat. This become how she got here up with the Atlas Monroe vegan fried bird, which she entered into the VegFest opposition and were given the Best Dish award.
Shark Tank Appearance
With her husband, Deborah took her advent to Shark Tank in 2019. They provided 10% in their commercial enterprise in alternate for $500,000. The fried bird samples they gave have been praised via way of means of the Sharks.
As value determinations and numbers have been tossed around, the verbal exchange quick grew to become nerve-racking and perplexing. Barbara Corcoran additionally idea that the organization become too young. However, Mark Cuban, who’s a vegetarian, become very intrigued.
Thus, he made the preliminary provide of $500,000 in go back for 30% equity. Later on, he persuaded visitor Shark, Rohan Oza, to paintings with him and purchase 100% of the organization. They provided $1 million, plus a 10% royalty on income for the founders, however the Torres pair didn’t agree.
After Shark Tank
Cuban and Oza’s big provide helped the aspiring marketers realise the capacity of her commercial enterprise. This gave them the self assurance that their organization will do nice with out the assist of the Sharks.
Under Deborah’s leadership, Atlas Monroe is a privately held organization doing properly on its personal. It received a multimillion-greenback factory, which allows produce approximately one million kilos of vegan merchandise annually. Apart from bird, additionally they increased to creating different plant-primarily based totally meat.
Atlas Monroe has achieved over $2 million in income via their internet site and Deborah said in an interview they have been heading in the right direction to make $five million in sales for 2021. They additionally commenced imparting a few eating places nationwide. Deborah and her crew are presently on direction to turn out to be the biggest producer of plant-primarily based totally fried bird.
