Neuro Gum has grown into a nine-figure business since leaving Shark Tank without a deal in 2020. According to Inc., the company generated $102 million in revenue in 2025 and has expanded into tens of thousands of retail stores across the US.
Founders Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen have also attracted backing from Daniel Lubetzky, the KIND Snacks founder who appeared as a guest Shark during their original pitch.
Where Is Neuro Gum Now?
Neuro has expanded beyond its original Energy & Focus gum into products marketed for relaxation, memory and sleep.
During a March 2026 Shark Tank update, the founders reported approximately $135 million in cumulative sales and distribution across more than 20,000 retail locations. By July, Entrepreneur reported that Neuro was stocked in approximately 66,000 stores.
The company was also targeting 77,000 US retail locations by the end of 2026, according to Inc.. That figure remains a target rather than confirmed distribution.
Neuro Gum’s current valuation hasn’t been publicly disclosed, although Dealroom placed the company’s value between $100 million and $250 million in 2024.
The Lawsuit That Almost Derailed Neuro
Neuro’s Shark Tank episode aired on April 10, 2020, during the early weeks of the pandemic. The exposure reportedly increased sales by more than 700%, but the surge in orders coincided with shipping delays and rising supply chain costs.
Just ten days later, Neurobrands LLC filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit against NeuroGum Inc. The dispute placed financial pressure on the business. Chen later described facing a legal retainer of approximately $1 million, an enormous expense for a company already struggling with cash flow.
He contacted Daniel Lubetzky through Instagram. Although Lubetzky had declined to invest during the original pitch, he understood the challenges of building a consumer brand and had experienced trademark disputes while running KIND Snacks.
Lubetzky responded and helped the founders navigate the dispute, which was eventually settled. The settlement terms weren’t disclosed, but the relationship continued well beyond the legal proceedings.
By 2026, Neuro had confirmed Lubetzky as a business partner. His ownership stake and the financial terms of his involvement remain private.
Why Neuro’s First Walmart Launch Failed
One of Neuro’s biggest setbacks came from an unexpected source: Walmart. The company’s first retail rollout placed its products in the bulk candy aisle alongside ordinary chewing gum. For a premium product containing caffeine, L-theanine and vitamins, this created an obvious problem.
Shoppers looking for inexpensive gum had little reason to choose Neuro. Sales fell short of expectations, prompting the founders to withdraw rather than wait for Walmart to remove the product.
Two years later, Neuro returned with placements near pharmacy and checkout areas. In June 2026, the company expanded into 3,000 Walmart stores. Neuro needed to compete for customers interested in energy and supplements, not simply for space beside conventional gum.
Why the Founders Delayed Entering Costco
Neuro was equally cautious about expanding into Costco, where high sales volumes are needed to maintain shelf space.
By 2025, Neuro claimed its content had accumulated around five billion TikTok views. Chen also reported that unaided brand awareness among US consumers had reached roughly 15-16%, compared with low single digits previously.
The founders later acknowledged in an October 2026 Shopify interview that they might have waited slightly too long before entering Costco.
How Neuro Built Its Customer Base
Neuro initially gained traction through Reddit’s nootropics community, where users were already interested in ingredients associated with concentration and cognitive performance.
Its audience grew considerably when Joe Rogan began mentioning the gum on his podcast after trying it. The exposure introduced Neuro to consumers interested in fitness, supplements and productivity without the company having to build that audience from scratch.
Neuro subsequently partnered with personalities including DJ Steve Aoki and F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda. It also worked with Chess.com, sponsoring online competitions and players such as Anna Cramling.
The Chess.com partnership was a particularly good fit. Neuro could position its products around concentration during mentally demanding activities, rather than relying exclusively on athletes and fitness influencers.
However, the founders eventually realised that their marketing was limiting the brand’s appeal. Early campaigns encouraged customers to replace coffee and energy drinks with Neuro gum. That meant asking people to abandon habits they already enjoyed, creating an unnecessary barrier to purchase.
The company’s messaging shifted towards positioning Neuro as an additional option, such as something convenient to use during an afternoon slump. It also began targeting broader audiences, including working mothers.
This helped Neuro move beyond its original niche and compete for a larger share of the everyday energy market.
Can Neuro Maintain Its Growth?
Neuro’s biggest challenge is generating repeat purchases while managing the costs of national retail expansion.
Selling through major retailers requires huge investment in inventory, promotions and product sampling. The founders told Shopify they expected to introduce Neuro products to more than three million people through sampling in 2026.
The company also competes for customers with established energy drink, supplement and chewing gum manufacturers, many of which have considerably larger marketing budgets.
Its position between these categories gives Neuro flexibility, but the underlying ingredients aren’t necessarily difficult for competitors to replicate. Brand recognition, distribution and customer loyalty will become increasingly important as the market develops.
What Happened to Neuro on Shark Tank?
Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen appeared on Shark Tank Season 11, Episode 19.
The pair founded Neuro in 2015 after developing the idea of delivering functional ingredients through chewing gum. Their original Energy & Focus product combined caffeine, L-theanine and B vitamins as an alternative to conventional energy drinks and supplements.
They entered the Tank seeking $750,000 for 5% equity, valuing the business at $15 million.
Kevin O’Leary offered the requested investment for 5% equity but wanted an additional royalty of 50 cents per unit until he had collected $1 million.
Robert Herjavec proposed $1 million for 20% equity, later reducing his requested stake to 14%. His revised offer implied a valuation of around $7.1 million, less than half the founders’ original asking valuation.
Yoshimura and Chen rejected both offers, concerned that accepting a lower valuation would disadvantage existing investors who had backed the business at a higher price.
Six years later, the company has grown substantially without either deal. More unexpectedly, one of the guest Sharks who initially passed on Neuro eventually became a business partner.
