IncrEdible Eats: Here's What Happened After Appearing On Shark Tank

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Indian immigrant Dinesh Tadepalli has a sweeping vision of making the world better — one plastic spoon, spork, straw, and chopstick at a time. Tadepalli was appalled by the tremendous plastic waste generated by disposable utensils, which spend countless years decomposing slowly (if at all) in landfills. With a master's degree in electrical engineering and a genuine belief in one man's power to effect change, Tadepalli created the IncrEdible Eats utensil company. These straws and flatware products are baked from a variety of flours and given flavors that compliment the food they are intended for, both sweet and savory, resulting in something like a usable hard breadstick. This means that, whether you are swirling spaghetti or munching on the most bizarre Salt & Straw ice cream flavors, there is an IncrEdible Eats product that could be just right.

Tadepalli had modest success with his edible utensils: by the time he appeared on Season 13, Episode 3 of "Shark Tank," he'd racked up $170,000 in sales, having sold 1.2 million utensils. Before the pandemic, he had been focused on a "business to business" sales model, but COVID-19 encouraged him to start selling directly to consumers. He dove into the "Shark Tank" in 2021, looking for an investor to help him take his innovative product to the next level.

In front of the assembled sharks, Tadepalli made a passionate pitch extolling the virtues of edible flatware, including his desire to ensure a less-polluted world for his children. His ask? A cool half million bucks in exchange for a 7% share in the company. The sharks unanimously agreed that the IncrEdible Eats products were delicious, with Lori Greiner claiming that she would happily chow down on the spoons as a snack, let alone a utensil. Immediately, however, Kevin O'Leary took issue with Tadepalli's valuation of the company, tutting over its relatively low sales. Meanwhile, the rest of the panel — save Barbara Corcoran, who dropped out early — were busy being charmed by Tadepalli's enthusiasm and yummy edible spoons.

Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Mark Cuban, and Daniel Lubetzky all made offers to Tadepalli. O'Leary came in with the highest equity ask at 35%, while Greiner made the lowest at 15%. Tadepalli waffled a bit on accepting an offer, choosing to counter and wring his hands. Cuban grew irritated at the delays and rescinded his offer. Still, three shark offers constituted a bonafide feeding frenzy. While some contestants, like those behind cookie company Nui, are lucky to get a single bite when appearing on "Shark Tank," IncrEdible Eats was in a rare position. Ultimately, Tadepalli took Greiner's offer of $500,000 in exchange for a 15% share in the company.

Tadepalli's edible utensils made a real splash on "Shark Tank," with viewers drumming up a whopping $50,000 in pre-orders in the two days after his episode aired. Like many "Shark Tank" contestants before it, IncrEdible Eats' deal with its shark, Lori Greiner, never actually went through for reasons that were undisclosed. But, while a failed shark deal is usually the beginning of the end for other companies, the TV show was just the jumping-off point for IncrEdible Eats. While Tadepalli reported that the first few months after "Shark Tank" were anxious due to inventory issues, things quickly fell into place. Tadepalli focused on food service partnerships, including theme parks, aquariums, and airlines. Before long, sales had jumped close to 300%.

IncrEdible Eats finally found a big investor in 2021, when Big Idea Ventures took a risk on the company and provided $200,000 in seed funding. More success came hot on the heels of that victory — freeze-dried ice cream company Dippin' Dots came knocking, seeking a partnership. While you may not have known that bubble wrap will prevent ice cream from melting, it is also probably news to you that you can have your ice cream and eat the spoon!

In an interview with Research Triangle Park, Tadepalli admitted that the road to success with IncrEdible Eats has been a rocky one. While he was quick to dismiss the sharks — mostly Kevin O'Leary — who he said were obsessed with "money, money, money," Tadepalli came to acknowledge that dollars and cents were sometimes working against him. A traditional plastic spoon costs only one or two pennies, while an edible spoon from IncrEdible Eats runs around 20 cents ... a difference that can quickly become staggering when you are talking about ordering gross numbers of utensils! He noted that at least one (discreetly unnamed) fast food company was majorly interested in what Tadepalli had to offer, but the deal went south when finances came into the discussion.

Still, IncrEdible Eats has seen some great wins. As of this writing, you can buy edible cutlery by IncrEdible Eats on Amazon, as well as on the company's website, despite the fact that many flavors and sizes appear to be sold out. Yet, as of writing, the company's Instagram page has not been updated in almost a year, along with its similarly quiet Facebook profile. While it's not definite that IncrEdible Eats has petered out in the way that so many "Shark Tank" companies tend to do over time, the indicators are not 100% positive right now.

While Dinesh Tadepalli's LinkedIn account still lists him as presently employed with IncrEdible Eats, it also mentions that, as of February 2025, he has moved on to a new venture: Regen Earth in Hyderabad, India. Tadepalli's profile describes the new company thusly: "Sustainability as a service for the betterment of the consumers, customers and the planet. Made possible by combining truly sustainable disposables, technology and providing after-life composting services for the QSR and the food industry." All of that sure sounds like something that is building on the guiding principles that Tadepalli stated when he founded IncrEdible Eats: reducing waste in the culinary world.

On the IncrEdible Eats website, you can still apparently buy sweet spoons in both cocoa and vanilla flavors, and savory spoons with the essence of either black pepper or oregano-chili. There are both small and large varieties. You can also buy chocolate or vanilla edible straws, or a large canvas bag emblazoned with the company name. Only time will tell if IncrEdible Eats will stay afloat, or sink to the bottom with other "Shark Tank" has-beens that came before it.