Sometimes, finding a healthy snack can feel impossible. People often turn to chips, popcorn, or candy when they want something to munch on. But many of these snacks are full of unhealthy ingredients, like artificial flavors, too much salt, or added sugar. They can make you feel sluggish and are not good for your body in the long run. Eating these snacks every day can lead to weight gain, high cholesterol, or other health problems.
That is why many people search for snacks that are tasty but still healthy. But most of the time, those options are hard to find or don’t taste good.
This was the problem that Nadine Habayeb wanted to solve. She wanted to offer a snack that was light, crunchy, delicious, and good for the body. She discovered popped water lily seeds, which are an ancient snack from India. They pop like popcorn but are lighter and contain more protein. Nadine thought this could be the perfect healthy snack for people who want something new.
She appeared on Shark Tank Season 11 to pitch her company, Bohana, which makes popped water lily seeds in flavors like Himalayan Pink Salt, White Cheddar, and Wild Spice. She asked the sharks for $200,000 in exchange for 10% equity. The episode showed how the sharks reacted to this unique idea, what they offered, and what happened next.
Many people were curious if the sharks would like the product and whether Bohana could become the next big healthy snack brand.
Bohona Net Worth Shark Tank Update
Nadine was looking for an investment of $200k in exchange for 10% equity in the company. At the time of the episode, she valued her company at $2 million. Nadine successfully secured a deal with Kevin for $200k as a loan at 9% interest over 36 months, plus 8% equity in the company. The investment adjusted the company’s net worth to around $2.5 million. After the show was aired, the company experienced a good boost in exposure and expanded into more retail stores for a period of time. As per my rough estimate, the current net worth of Bohana is $0.
Shark(s) name
Offer & Demand
Counteroffer
Accepted?
Kevin O’Leary
$200,000 as a loan at 9% interest over 36 months, plus 8% equity
N/A
Yes
Barbara Corcoran
$200,000 for 30% equity
N/A
No
Rohan Oza
N/A
N/A
No
Mark Cuban
N/A
N/A
No
Lori Greiner
N/A
N/A
No
Nadine Habayeb Backstory + Their Initial Pitch
Nadine Habayeb grew up eating healthy snacks. She always looked for foods that tasted great but were better for her body. When she learned about popped water lily seeds from India, she was amazed by their light texture and rich nutritional value. These seeds have been eaten in India for centuries. They are a traditional snack that people love. Nadine thought that if people in the US could try them, they would love them too.
She wanted to introduce something fresh to the crowded snack market. But starting Bohana was not easy. Nadine faced many challenges in the beginning. She had to find farmers in India who could supply high-quality seeds. Then, she needed a way to pop the seeds perfectly and flavor them in a way that would appeal to American taste buds. It took months of testing to get the recipe right.
She also had to deal with high production costs. The snacks ended up being almost twice as expensive as regular popcorn. This worried her because she knew people compared prices when shopping for snacks.
When Nadine stepped onto the Shark Tank stage, she was full of excitement but also nervous. She introduced herself as one of the co-founders of Bohana and explained how popped water lily seeds work. She told the sharks about the three flavors and shared that the seeds contain all nine essential amino acids, which is rare for a snack.
She highlighted that there are no kernels, so people do not have to worry about breaking their teeth as they do with popcorn. She said she wanted $200,000 in exchange for 10% of the company. Her pitch was confident and full of passion. She handed samples to the sharks and invited them to taste each flavor.
The sharks were curious about this unusual snack. They had never seen or heard of popped water lily seeds before. Some of them were impressed by the taste, while others were skeptical about how well it could sell in the United States. Nadine tried to explain that Americans are open to new foods and that she believed she could build a brand that would educate people about the benefits of water lily seeds.
Queries + Sharks’ Responses, and Final Deal
When the sharks tasted the snacks, they were surprised by how light and crunchy they were. But they had many questions.
Mark Cuban was the first to speak. He wanted to know how much money Bohana had made so far. Nadine told him they had done $120,000 in sales in 16 months, with only nine months in retail. Mark was concerned that the sales numbers were not high enough. He also asked about the price of each bag. When he heard that Bohana cost almost twice as much as popcorn, he looked worried.
Mark said he did not want to take on the job of educating the market about a new snack, so he decided to drop out.
Barbara Corcoran liked the snack and said she had made a similar investment before with Pipcorn. She thought Bohana had potential, but she wanted a big part of the company if she was going to take a risk. Barbara offered Nadine $200,000 for 30% equity. Nadine thanked her for the offer but looked unsure because giving away 30% felt like too much.
Rohan Oza, who was a guest shark that day, said he loved the fact that the snack came from India. He appreciated the cultural story behind it and said it was snackable. But he also said the challenge of building a new category from scratch was too big for him. Rohan decided not to make an offer and dropped out.
Lori Greiner tasted the snack and thought it was good. But she was worried because there was no fiber in it. She asked Nadine if she could fix that. Nadine explained that adding fiber could be done in future versions of the snack. Still, Lori was not convinced and said she would love to buy the product but would not invest.
Kevin O’Leary was the last shark standing. He liked the snack and saw the potential. But he said he wanted to protect himself in case it did not sell well. So, he offered $200,000 as a loan with 9% interest over three years, plus 8% equity in the company. He asked if Barbara wanted to partner with him, but she said no because she wanted a bigger piece of the company. Nadine thought about it carefully.
She liked Kevin’s deal more than Barbara’s because it let her keep more of the company. After some thinking, she accepted Kevin’s offer.
Product Availability
Bohana’s popped water lily seeds come in three main flavors. The first is Himalayan Pink Salt, which is simple and brings out the natural taste of the seeds. The second flavor is Wild White Cheddar, which gives a cheesy taste that many people love. The last flavor is Soulful Spice, which adds a kick of Indian-inspired heat. Each bag of Bohana is light, airy, and crunchy.
The seeds contain all nine essential amino acids, so they are a complete protein. That is rare for a snack. They are also gluten-free and have fewer calories than many other crunchy snacks.
Bohana tried to sell its products online through its website and through big retailers like Amazon. They were also available in some Whole Foods stores and other natural food markets. However, customers who tried to buy them from the website after the episode aired found that the products were often out of stock. This happened because the company had trouble keeping up with demand and securing more funding.
The website is still up, but as of now, all products show as unavailable. This has made it hard for new customers to buy the snacks and has hurt the brand’s ability to grow. Even though the idea was exciting, the company faced big challenges in keeping enough products in stock to meet people’s needs.
What Happened To Bohana After Shark Tank?
After appearing on Shark Tank, Bohana got a lot of attention. Many people wanted to try the snacks. Social media posts showed customers praising the unique taste. In March 2021, the founders posted a video saying they had expanded to 250 retail stores, including Amazon and Walmart. Sales grew, and at one point, they were reported to be making $4 million a year.
This was a big jump from their sales before Shark Tank. But after that, things seemed to slow down. By 2022, many customers complained online that they could not find the snacks anywhere. The company website listed all products as out of stock. Reports suggested that Bohana might have run out of money and could not continue production.
In 2023, there was no clear sign of the company coming back. The website was still live, but with no updates or new stock. Social media accounts stopped posting new content. By 2024, it looked like Bohana had quietly closed down. No new announcements were made by Nadine or the company. Some online snack shops listed Bohana as discontinued.
It is not clear whether the deal with Kevin was ever finalized. Many Shark Tank deals fall apart after the show if the investor and entrepreneur cannot agree on the final details. That might have happened with Bohana. Even if they did finalize it, the funding was not enough to keep the company going in the long run.
Conclusion
Bohana’s journey on Shark Tank showed how hard it can be to launch a new kind of snack. Nadine Habayeb had a great idea and a product that many sharks liked. But the high price, low sales numbers, and the need to teach customers about water lily seeds made investors nervous. Nadine got a deal from Kevin O’Leary for a $200,000 loan with 9% interest plus 8% equity, but it is not clear if the deal ever closed.
After Shark Tank, Bohana’s sales grew fast for a short time, and they expanded into big stores like Walmart. But soon, the company ran into problems with funding and keeping products in stock. As of 2024, Bohana is no longer selling products, and its website shows everything as out of stock. Even though the idea was fresh and exciting, it shows that in the snack world, good taste is not always enough to survive. The product needed more support and money to keep growing.
Hey, I’m Amna Habib, an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. Shark Tank has always been one of my favorite TV shows because it offers a unique glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship. The way entrepreneurs present innovative solutions to everyday problems aligns with my academic interests and fuels my curiosity about business strategies. Each pitch showcases creativity and strategic decision-making, which I find both insightful and inspiring. Watching the show has deepened my passion for business and motivated me to explore the world of entrepreneurship even further. Beyond business and writing, I love food, shopping, and spending time with my friends and family.
