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Chapul is a traditional dish made from roasted crickets, famous in various cultures for its high protein content and nutritional benefits. Often seasoned with spices, chapul is enjoyed as a snack or ingredient in various recipes.
Rich in vitamins and minerals, it is a sustainable alternative to conventional meat sources. With the rising interest in edible insects, chapul is gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers and eco-friendly food enthusiasts.
Chapul Cricket Bars contain cricket flour, a sustainable, protein-rich energy source. There’s a new flour being made this week from the ground-up, iron-rich crickets.
The Chapul energy bar contains protein derived from crickets, revolutionizing how people think about food. Crickets are a vital ingredient in each bar. Chapul Flour energy bars are protein-rich and made with sustainably sourced cricket flour.
It is even possible to make flour from ground-up insects with high iron content. Chapul was created by Pat Crowley of Salt Lake City, Utah, who was also the founder of Chapul. Agriculture dominates freshwater sources in the western United States, with animal production accounting for the most significant share of total use.
Plant materials are extremely efficiently converted by insects into highly nutritious protein sources for humans, emitting very few greenhouse gases and consuming little space.
| Company Name | Chapul |
| Entrepreneur | Pat Crowley |
| Product / Business | An energy bar based on cricket flowers |
| Investment Asking For | $50,000 for 5% equity in Chapul |
| Final Deal | $50,000 for 15% equity in Chapul |
| Shark | Mark Cuban |
| Episode | Season 5, Episode 21 |
| Business Status | In Business |
| Website | Chapul Website |
Who Is The Founder Of Chapul?
Chapul was founded by Pat Crowley, president of Salt Lake City, Utah. Crowley became interested in eating insects after discovering that insects contain a high protein content and that eating insect protein could contribute to preserving the world’s water supply.
Our agricultural sector consumes more than 90 percent of our total water supply. Feeding insects could reduce this consumption significantly. The conversion of insects’ food into protein is ten times greater than that of cows and pigs, making them a superfood and source of human protein.
Insects are considered delicacies in many parts of the world and are even eaten raw! In 2012, Crowley began manufacturing Chapul Energy Bars for the first time. Chapul bars contain cricket flour, a protein extracted from insects, primarily crickets.
You can choose from peanut butter and chocolate, dark chocolate with cayenne and coffee, coconut ginger lime, and many other flavors. The United States doesn’t seem particularly fond of bugs, although 80 percent of the world’s population consumes 1,700 insects for nutrition.
Crowley describes Chapul bars as “a simple, delightful introduction to a particular delicacy,” according to Crowley.
Chapul is one of the nation’s leading energy bar manufacturers and incorporates cockroaches into every bar. Pat Crowley and his pals formed Chapul to assist the environment as their primary emphasis.
Most of Pat’s funds for his company came from Kickstarter, just like many other entrepreneurs featured on recent Shark Tank episodes. Pat effectively garnered numerous followers even though many Americans were skeptical of eating crickets due to the product’s originality and the benefits of each bar compared to competitors, such as adding additional protein.
Chapul got into a diverse range of retailers before appearing on Shark Tank, and the company was growing rapidly due to its mission and creativity. During season five, Pat applied to Shark Tank to bring a Shark onto his team to help him grow, and he was selected to participate.
How Was The Shark Tank Pitch Of Chapul?
Pat Crowley appeared on Shark Tank requesting an investment of $50,000 for 5 percent equity in Chapul.
Final Deal: Mark agreed to invest $50,000 for 15% of Chapul.
What Happened To Chapul After Shark Tank?
Following the conclusion of Shark Tank, the agreement between Chapul and Mark was finalized. Pat and Mark met in person in a store to discuss how Mark could help Pat sell the bars and reach out to new customers.
Pat has also benefited from the impact of Shark Tank, as his company is engaged in online media sources such as YouTube and Facebook. They expanded their consumer base by gaining access to Sprouts Farmers Markets.
The Chapul founders have done a fantastic job of successfully launching an entirely new concept into the American market, educating the public on the product’s benefits, and promoting the company’s name and brand in as many places as possible.
People who have tried the bars have generally expressed delight in the taste and the original concept. The fact that crickets are in the pubs is not even a point of contention for most people.
Even though Pat acquired roughly $16,000 in funding for his company through a Kickstarter campaign, Chapul did not initially garner much popularity. People were cautious about moving from solutions that had already been tried and tested to ones that relied on protein derived from insects; yet, the unorthodox nature of eating bugs did not sit well with many customers.
On the other hand, Pat did not give up hope and continued to advocate for the cause he believed in. He also used sushi as an illustration and highlighted how raw fish was unheard of in American cuisine before the introduction of sushi, which was a welcome shift.
Chapul struck cooperation partnerships with natural food stores, bike shops, gyms, and fitness centers, contributing to the brand’s gradual popularity.
In addition, after individuals experienced the product for themselves, they became more open to the concept, which resulted in Pat’s company gaining the exposure he had worked diligently to get.
Pat signed a contract with Mark Cuban during Chapul’s time on ‘Shark Tank’ in exchange for 15 percent of the company; he received $50,000. The agreement was highly beneficial for Chapul.
After that, Chapul began to appear on the shelves of various retail establishments, with Sprouts Farmers Market being the first big retail establishment to begin carrying the brand’s products.
Because their co-packer fell out of business in 2019, Chapul decided to stop supplying energy bars. However, Pat kept his company afloat by selling flour made from crickets. He stated that he would have made several million dollars in sales over his lifetime.
In addition, Pat successfully attracted enough financial backing to establish the Chapul Farms Insect Innovation & Research Center in Oregon. This was done so Pat could expand his business and efficiently recycle food scraps.
Currently, the firm sells only flour; as a result, interested buyers can purchase a variety of varieties of Chapul cricket flour on Amazon and the company’s website.
It will cost you $45 for a bag that weighs one pound. Because Pat is devoting an extraordinary amount of time and energy to research and development, we are confident that Chapul will enjoy even greater success in the years to come.
Chapul Cricket Bars has secured its largest deal since appearing on Shark Tank: it has partnered with Sprouts Farmers Market to distribute its products through its 217 stores nationwide.
Chapul has grown from two employees (including Crowley!) to eight, and the company is currently selling Cricket Flour Protein in one-pound bags ($45 each) and single-serve 18-gram pouches (a four-pack costs $9).
According to Crowley, Mark Cuban has been a “phenomenal asset to our staff.” Chapul is still in business with over $2 million annually.
Chapul’s valuation was $333,333 after securing investment from Mark Cuban on Season 5 of Shark Tank. Chapul’s current net worth is estimated to be $5 million.
