Anytongs: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Various kitchen gadgets have struck gold on "Shark Tank," from an innovative poultry trusser to a bottle opener made from decommissioned bullet casings. Hoping to find similar success, another hopeful inventor entered the Tank for Season 14, Episode 13 with his kitchen tool, Anytongs.

Tog Samphel got the idea for his invention from his mother, who always prepared food for large dinner parties and found herself short of clean tongs. So, she improvised by taping plastic utensils to clothespins to create her own makeshift version. Taking his mother's idea further, Samphel created a compact tool that quickly converts forks and spoons into tongs. The eating utensils slide easily into the handles of the tool, locking into place to create instant "tongs" that are interchangeable. This enables cooks to move quickly from one dish to another without cross-contamination, as they can simply swap out one set of spoons or forks for a clean pair, ensuring they have a dedicated set of "tongs" for each dish or pan they're working with. The gadget can be used in virtually any situation where one would normally use tongs, from being utilized as ice tongs — which do serve an actual purpose — to turning meat on a grill or in a frying pan.

The Sharks were impressed with Samphel's invention. As the panelists tried out the devices, Samphel explained that he has a passion for product design and served as a user experience designer for more than a decade, working for companies like Nintendo, AOL, and Facebook. But his dream had long been to design a physical product. He asked the panel for an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 20% equity in his company to help take Anytongs to consumers everywhere.

Present in the Tank were judges Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec. The panelists were initially complimentary of Tog Samphel's invention, with Cuban calling it "really brilliant" and Greiner commenting that it was "smart" (via YouTube). But when Samphel revealed that he hadn't patented the device, and that following a successful Kickstarter campaign, he had only achieved $7,000 in sales, the sentiment among the Sharks changed significantly. One by one, O'Leary, Herjavec, and Cuban declined the deal, with Cuban commenting that while Samphel had a "genius product," he had a long way to go and many steps to take before his company could succeed (per YouTube).

John made Samphel a counteroffer of $150,000 for a 49% stake in his company. Greiner commented that it was a fair deal and better than what she would have offered him, so she opted to bow out and advised Samphel to take John's deal. Samphel asked John if he would accept a 40% stake instead, but he drew derision from the Sharks by not giving John the opportunity to respond before plunging into a long speech about his dedication and willingness to quit his day job and go all in on Anytongs. The speech contradicted earlier statements he had made that he wouldn't quit his job, sacrifice his family's financial well-being, or work long hours and miss important events in order to make his company succeed.

After some contemplation, John stuck to his original counteroffer of $150,000 for a 49% stake. Samphel accepted the deal.

Following his appearance on "Shark Tank," Tog Samphel played the waiting game every guest on the show plays, not knowing when or if his episode would air. When a segment is chosen to be broadcast, contestants only receive notice a few weeks ahead of time. Samphel was worried because funding for his business had essentially dried up, and he had very little inventory and no money to manufacture more Anytongs. So, he reached out to Daymond John and had multiple conversations with the Shark, who ultimately worked out an agreement with Samphel to help him build up his inventory. When it was revealed that Samphel's episode would be broadcast, the inventor found himself in a crunch to get his new stock of Anytongs manufactured before the air date. His window of time was very narrow, and delays kept occurring that set back the delivery of the products.

As almost always happens when an invention airs on "Shark Tank," the response was huge when the segment debuted, and Samphel found himself processing a flood of incoming orders. His new inventory was still trickling in and was insufficient to keep up with the demand. But he received support and guidance from John's team and was able to finally push through and fulfill the orders.

Following his "Shark Tank" appearance, Samphel and John closed their deal, and Anytongs' sales continued to be steady. A key focus of the collaboration between the inventor and the Shark, as of 2023, was designing an Anytongs version 2, which would feature a more refined and complex design that could hold additional types of utensils, potentially including odd-shaped ones. Samphel also had near-term plans to expand sales to the Amazon platform.

While it's clear that Anytongs is still in business in some capacity, the company's pulse seems to be faint at best as of October 2025. Anytongs are still available for sale on the Anytongs website and via Amazon, with one device retailing for $12.99 and two-packs at $19.99. Customer feedback on Amazon is mixed, with many buyers complaining that their silverware didn't fit in the gadget or wouldn't stay in place securely. The company only had a rating of 3.5 out of five stars on Amazon as of October 2025. The first version of the product — the one shown on "Shark Tank" — is also still the product being sold; no version two has yet been offered for sale.

Social media activity from the company is sparse, with no recent updates. The last post on the Anytongs Facebook account was in April 2024, while the company's TikTok hasn't had a new video since June 2024, and its X account hasn't had any postings since 2023.

An interview with Tog Samphel published in a 2023 edition of Montclair — the official magazine of Montclair State University, his alma mater — stated that version one of Anytongs was more or less the test prototype of the product, and feedback received, mistakes made, and experience gained would be used to improve version two, which is the product that will ultimately go on sale in stores. An article in the winter 2024 edition of Montclair stated that Samphel and Daymond John were collaboratively working on product strategy, as well as deals for licensing and retail store sales. So, it's possible — though unknown — that the company's radio silence could be due to active pursuit of such developments.

The world may yet see an Anytongs version two hitting store shelves at some future point. During his "Shark Tank" appearance, Tog Samphel teased an updated prototype that was cheaper to manufacture, held utensils more securely, and was made using more eco-friendly materials. As of 2023, Samphel and Daymond John were reportedly working to forge a deal with a manufacturer as well as with wholesale partners, and Samphel was also working on advertising for the product.

As the world waits to see whether the next incarnation of Anytongs will be appearing at a store near them, Samphel has been actively involved with Montclair State University. He has appeared as a guest judge at the school's Pitch Day competition, where would-be entrepreneurs have an opportunity to pitch their business ideas, just as Samphel did on "Shark Tank." He was also scheduled to appear as a guest at the New Jersey Small Business Summit, taking place in October 2025 at Montclair State.

Samphel has mentioned in past interviews that his company's product line may expand in the future. So, in addition to Anytongs, his love of inventing and product development could yet yield additional gadgets.