Numilk Update – What Happened After Shark Tank

In recent years, plant-based milk has become all the rage, accounting for 10% of the total milk market, according to Food Manufacturing. One of the reasons for this is the reduced impact non-dairy milk has on the environment, as it uses less land and water to produce (via Science Focus). But even the process to produce and package almond milk can be quite laborious. The Sustainable Restaurant Association told The Guardian that it usually takes 1,611 gallons to make even a liter of the nut milk.

However, one company hopes to further reduce waste from traditional dairy milks. Numilk is a food manufacturer and technology company that assembles pouched plant-based milks, lattes, and protein shakes that can be added to its machine, through which customers can use to create their own vegan milks at home. Not only does Numilk provide fresh tasting milk by letting consumers add their own ingredients to the machine, but it also cuts down on packaging waste and water usage (via Shark Tank Success).

NuMilk: Who Are They and What Do They Do?

A genius alternative to pre-packaged plant-based milk, NuMilk gives the customer an option to make fresh almond milk at select stores before purchasing it. Joe Savino and Ari Tolwin conceived this idea of making fresh almond milk and giving customers the option not to choose other pre-packaged plant-based milk laced with preservatives. However, Joe was the one who invented the NuMilk machine.

Both Joe and Ari are veterans of the beverage industry, with Ari co-founding Happy Tree Maple Water in 2013, where he served as a CEO for nearly four and a half years. Joe co-founded the harvest beverage group, where he worked for over five years. The idea was born out of the need for delicious, nutritious, and pure dairy-free milk. According to Joe and Ari, there was a need to get rid of additives, like gums and emulsifiers, used in many conventional brands. Plus, they also wanted their products to be raw, natural, and organic.

The duo insists that with the NuMilk process, they were also able to heavily cut down on a lot of supply chain food waste. They put up machines in select locations and stores, making it possible for customers to get freshly-made organic almond milk. The machines are equipped with water filters and contain built-in cleaning systems. Furthermore, each machine is remotely connected to the internet and can be tailored to the demands of the customers of that specific place. At the press of a button, the machine produces pure almond milk without any preservatives or additives.

How is Numilk doing after Shark Tank?

Founded in 2017, NuMilk has grown by leaps and bounds in the following years. After its conception, NuMilk machines were spotted at the New Jersey whole foods market with a promise from the company to roll out more machines across the country in 2019. The company’s internal data revealed that its machines had already seized up to 30% of in-store market shares from its other packaged non-dairy milk competitors. The company also brought in top talent from the beverage and tech industries and raised roughly $10 million in financing from investors.

Presently, NuMilk machines can be found in New Pioneer Food Co-op in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, New World Café in Raleigh, North Carolina, and whole foods markets in New York. It is also available in various brick-and-mortar grocery shops, primarily based out of New York City. It has also introduced new flavors like Matcha Oat Lattes. The company plans to expand its footprint across the United States and service more locations, aiming to increase its offerings from milk to plant-based shakes and lattes to attract a broader customer base.

In March of 2021, Ari & Joe of Numilk appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank” to pitch their food-tech start-up to revolutionize the plant-based milk industry.

Is Numilk profitable now?

In 2018, Numilk generated $40,000 in sales, but lost $2 million. In 2019, the company lost $3 million on $320,000 in sales. Then, with business affected by Covid-19 in 2020, the company got $400,000 in sales, but lost $2 million, Tolwin said.

What is Numilk made of?

The milk can be made using only almonds and purified water. Customers can add maple syrup if they want the milk sweetened. Savino and Tolwin see it as an alternative to pre-packaged plant-based milks, many of which can contain preservatives.

How do you make Numilk?

1. Fill the bottle with water to the marked fill line.
2. Place the bottle into the base of the machine.
3. Insert one of Numilk’s convenient pouches.
4. Lower handle and press start.
5. In less than a minute, with no fuss and no mess, your milk is ready to go!