"Definitely the right call" — When Bite Toothpaste Bits founders boldly rejected Shark Tank's Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary 

Lindsay McCormick, co-founder of the zero-waste toothpaste brand, Bite, featured on one of the most dramatic Shark Tank episodes when she rejected offers from Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary.

Recalling her appearance on Shark Tank to seek investment for her toothpaste company that reportedly does not involve plastic packaging, Lindsay McCormick told Today in 2021:

"We already had sales; we wanted a partner to grow the business with."

She added:

"My boyfriend, who's my co-founder, and I had decided before we even took the stage on a number that we would go up to, and that's all we could do. So when we were negotiating back and forth, we just couldn't get there. We had to walk away. Looking back, that was definitely the right call."

This bold stance came after McCormick and Asher Hunt pitched their eco-friendly toothpaste tablet company on ABC's hit show Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs seek investments from wealthy business titans (called 'Sharks' on the show). Bite toothpaste offered a solution that was simple yet seemed revolutionary, to a massive environmental problem: The billion toothpaste tubes ending up in landfills annually.

What makes their story unique isn't just their innovative product, but their rare decision to walk away from the offers of two Sharks — Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary. The gamble paid off, transforming Bite from a bootstrapped startup into a multimillion-dollar success story without surrendering significant equity.

What happened during Bite Toothpaste Bits' Shark Tank pitch?

Lindsay McCormick recalls that her lightbulb moment came during her travels as a surf instructor. She told she told VoyageLA in 2019:

"When I learned that one billion toothpaste tubes ended up in landfills every year (that's enough to fill up the Empire State Building fifty times yearly) I knew I wanted to make a change."

The frequent traveler grew frustrated with constantly discarding travel-sized toothpaste tubes. She added:

"I’ve always been passionate about sustainability, but I was traveling all the time for work, tossing out those little travel toothpaste tubes that I envisioned sitting in a landfill somewhere, leaking out chemicals like SLS and triclosan and artificial dyes and flavors."

Rather than just complain, McCormick took action. She enrolled in chemistry classes and purchased a tableting machine. The result? Bite toothpaste 'bits' — small tablets that turn into paste when crushed between teeth and brushed with a moist toothbrush. McCormick explained:

"Our Bits are free from harsh chemicals, dyes, artificial flavors, and unnecessary fillers and they come in recyclable, refillable, or compostable packaging."

The concept eliminates the use of plastic tubes for toothpastes entirely, and also created an effective, travel-friendly alternative.

In 2020, McCormick and co-founder Asher Hunt entered Shark Tank seeking $325,000 for just 5% of their company — valuing Bite at $6.5 million. The Sharks appeared genuinely impressed with their pitch, particularly by McCormick's scientific approach and their impressive sales figure of $1.3 million in the previous year.

Shark Tank's Mark Cuban made the first move, offering the full $325,000 but with two conditions: He wanted 15% equity (triple what the founders had offered) and insisted Bite sell on Amazon. McCormick explained they had tried Amazon previously but found it incompatible with their business model at the time.

Although willing to reconsider Amazon, the founders countered with just 5% equity plus 2% in advisory shares. When Cuban wouldn't budge, they walked away from his offer.

Kevin O'Leary then stepped in with his own $325,000 offer but demanded 20% equity. According to Women, he justified the high percentage by noting the "fair amount of work ahead" and the "competitive shelf" Bite faced. Again, McCormick and Hunt declined O'Leary's offer on Shark Tank.

Bite Toothpaste Bits' success beyond Shark Tank

Walking away from Shark Tank empty-handed proved remarkably a good decision for Bite. As promised during their pitch, they returned to Amazon while maintaining their direct-to-consumer model. By 2021, just a year after their episode aired, Bite was successfully generating approximately $4 million in annual revenue.

The company quickly expanded from 10 employees, and continued hiring to meet growing demand. McCormick told Today:

"We're growing. More people are thinking about the planet and ingredients and what they're putting in their bodies than ever before. It's a really exciting time to be a sustainable business."

By 2024, Bite's estimated annual revenue exceeded $6 million. Industry recognition followed, with Business Insider and Women's Health featuring Bite in their top toothpaste tablet rankings.

Dentist Matthew Reck told Women's Health about Bite's ingredients:

"The added xylitol helps fight cavities and promote gum health by warding off bacteria, and the sodium bicarbonate levels out the pH in your mouth and works on stain removal."

The company has evolved beyond its original product. In September 2023, McCormick announced they had shortened their name to simply Bite with the tagline 'because of the earth' to reflect their expanding product line as well as green concerns.

Their offerings now include additional oral hygiene products like whitening gel (named 'Best on the Market' by New York Magazine's The Strategist), plus body care items such as deodorant and cleansing bars.

On Amazon, Bite maintains an impressive 4.2-star average rating, with reviewers praising the tablets as superior to traditional paste, particularly for those with sensitive teeth. Their Instagram following has grown to 157,000 followers.

McCormick remains the public face of the company, while Hunt has expanded his horizons as an angel investor in several technology startups. He also maintains his co-founder role at Bite.

The company's success demonstrates that sometimes the best Shark Tank outcome isn't making a deal but gaining national exposure while maintaining complete control of your business. For Bite, walking away from Cuban and O'Leary's offers was, as McCormick put it:

"definitely the right call."

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Shark Tank airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with all episodes available on Hulu.