Like Air Snacks: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank

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Plain popcorn is a low-calorie snack. It has 30 calories per cup (35 if popped in oil), contributes to dietary fiber intake, and contains several essential vitamins and minerals. So why improve on it? Well, as Allison Lin realized, all those hulls and kernels can make it difficult for some people to properly chew and swallow. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to avoid giving popcorn to children under the age of four. Elderly adults are also cautioned about popcorn as a choking hazard. And that doesn't even include the annoyance of getting popcorn stuck in your teeth. After enlisting her brother Steven Atieh as a business partner, Lin came up with a solution: Like Air Puffcorn, an extruded corn product without the added ingredients found in similar snacks.

The product launched in 2020, and the siblings — along with another brother, Kevin, who joined the business after its launch — enjoyed some early success. After selling well at mom and pop stores, Sam's Club put the product on the shelf in 600 stores in December 2021. Kroger soon followed, adding 1,000 stores to the products' distribution. Still, with nearly $5 million in sales in 2022 and $10 million predicted in 2023, the business was not yet profitable. They came to "Shark Tank" seeking $300,000 for 3.5% of their business.

The siblings appeared on "Shark Tank" during the 11th episode of the show's 15th season, demonstrating why Like Air could be a great snack for people aged six months to 106 years. The product contains nothing artificial and is made with non-GMO corn, is gluten-free, and free of eight major allergens. The siblings impressed the Sharks with the brand's four flavors: Classic, White Cheddar, Pancake, and Cinnamon Bun. "This actually has a better flavor to me than movie theater popcorn," Greiner told Allison Lin and her brothers (via Prime). O'Leary agreed. "This is the best low-cal snack we've seen on Shark Tank in 15 years" (per Prime).

Although the Sharks were even more impressed when they heard about the products' sales to date, they were also concerned because the business was not yet profitable. Kevin Atieh, the company's CFO, acknowledged that they planned to lose $1 million on 2023's expected $10 million in sales, with much of the money going to inventory, salaries, and slotting fees. Cuban was leery of their motives for appearing on the show. He, however, seemed to be reassured by the company's projections for even greater growth in subsequent years.

Despite liking the product, the sales potential, and the siblings' backgrounds, the Sharks started dropping out. O'Leary and Robert Herjavec both balked at the 3.5% equity. Barbara Corcoran was concerned about her investment getting diluted as the company grew and gained additional investors. Grenier tried to make a deal for a 7.5% nondilutable share, but eventually she and Cuban decided to go in together at 10%, knowing the shares might dilute.

If Like Air's sales figures were impressive before "Shark Tank," they became even more so afterward. Retail sales doubled week-to-week after the show aired. The brand is now available in 8,500 stores nationwide. Before "Shark Tank," the products were available at Amazon, Meijer, Kroger, HEB, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Giant, and Wegmans. Now, the brand is also available at Costco, CVS, Albertsons, Safeway, Walmart, and BJ's.

That same year, the company ranked in the 55th position on Inc.'s 2024 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America, noting its 5002% growth over the previous three years. The ranking put it in the top 1.1% of companies on the list. It also ranked as the fifth fastest-growing company in the New York metropolitan region, the second fastest-growing company in New Jersey, and the fourth fastest-growing in the food and beverage sector.

The brand was strong on social media from the start, using Instagram to offer daily product giveaways, giving free packs to five winners along with codes allowing the winners to gift one friend with a free pack as well. After the show, the siblings also built their presence on TikTok and started sharing user-generated content on both platforms. For the give-aways, Like Air often partners with like-minded brands, offering a gluten-free bundle with Queen St. Bakery, summer road trip snacks with Junkless bars, and the fresh taste of pickles with Bubbies.

Like Air is still going strong. In March 2025, it was named a Good Housekeeping best snack award winner. There's no word yet on whether or not anyone's considering a movie based on the founders' story, like the one Fox Searchlight did on the creator of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, but Allison Lin was named to Inc's Female Founder 500 list also in March 2025. Two months later, the founder appeared on an episode of "The View" that featured deals from women-owned businesses.

The company is also working out the issues of being a family-run business. As Lin told the podcast "Inspired Insider" during an interview from the 2024 Sweets & Snacks Expo, "It's good, but can be challenging. We'll say that, we don't always see eye to eye[,] but at the end of the day, we're a family. And that means a lot." In the interview, she revealed that the biggest hurdle the company had to face was delivering on a massive order to Sam's Club, back before the siblings had expanded the business. 

The brand has not shared any of its future plans, but the company did indicate it planned to continue innovating and to expand its business outside the United States. After the "Shark Tank" episode aired, Steven Atieh said the company was considering international distribution. "We've talked to distributors and retailers who say American products sell well in the Middle East and in Asia, so we might start there. It's just a matter of when" (per Bakery & Snacks). His sister Allison Lin, meanwhile, shared her excitement about 100-calorie packs that the company planned to launch at Sam's Club in July of 2024. "We're really excited about that," she said (via Inspired Insider).

The company has also focused on flavor innovation. Just as there are a lot of interesting flavor combinations for popcorn — think the unlikely burst of vanilla, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, and dill-infused popcorn — Like Air has gotten creative with its own monthly limited-edition drops. In addition to adding a fifth flavor — sour cream and onion –- the brand launched a limited edition spicy ranch with social media chef Darryl Postelnick. Other flavors have included Pumpkin Spice, Maple Cinnamon Churro, and Dill Pickle.