When Kareem Saad stepped onto the Shark Tank Dubai stage, he framed his company Epick Works not as a lifestyle brand but as a solution to one of the UAE’s most pressing national priorities: food security. His freeze dried meals designed to last 5 to 25 years without refrigeration fit neatly into the country’s strategy for resilience, sustainability, and emergency preparedness.
His entrance added cinematic flair to the pitch. Saad rode a motorcycle from Beirut to Dubai, crossing Lebanon, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia over ten days while relying exclusively on his own product for survival. It was one of the most dramatic demonstrations ever seen on Shark Tank Dubai and a powerful statement of founder belief.
Yet despite the passion, the mission alignment, and the technology behind the food, Epick Works left the Tank without a deal.
This breakdown explains why, what the Sharks actually reacted to, and the four biggest lessons founders across the Middle East should pay attention to.
Shark Tank Dubai Pitch Summary (At a Glance)
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Founder | Kareem Saad |
| Company | Epick Works UAE based food security startup |
| Product | Freeze dried meals with a 5 to 25 year shelf life |
| Ask | 2.75M AED for 15 percent equity |
| Valuation | 18.3M AED |
| Revenue | 130000 AED in 6 months 2000 units sold |
| Outcome | No deal |
Four Key Takeaways from the Epick Works Pitch
Food Security First: A Product Built for National Resilience
From the first minute, Saad made it clear Epick Works is not just selling food, it is selling long term stability.
The meals offer:
- Shelf life of 5 to 25 years
- No refrigeration requirement
- Portability and light weight
- Simple preparation with only boiling water
He positioned the company as a partner in the UAE’s broader mission of sustainable food independence. On the official website, Epick Works even describes itself as integrating technology, preservation systems, and logistics solutions into the food security ecosystem.
Saad also planned to shift from importing to local UAE manufacturing, introducing Arab and Gulf regional flavors to the freeze dried meals market. This localization strategy could give Epick Works an advantage in institutional, government, and B2B channels.
Financially, the early numbers were attractive:
- Retail price: 65 AED
- Import cost: 29 AED
- Gross margin: 55 percent
But these margins came from importing, not manufacturing. Building industrial food processing capacity is an entirely different challenge.
A Ten Day Desert Survival Test: Great Marketing, Limited Investor Weight
Saad’s 1800 km motorcycle journey created instant audience engagement. Living solely on his product for ten days demonstrated product durability, ease of use, nutrition stability, and practicality in real conditions.
It was one of the strongest live proof of concepts ever shown on the show. But for investors, it proved only one thing, the product works.
It did not prove operational readiness, manufacturing capability, regulatory compliance, supply chain scalability, or team expertise.
Sharks admired the dedication, but they recognized a common pattern among passionate founders, the belief that a powerful personal story can substitute for operational structure. Investors fund execution, not adventure.
Valuation and Investment Logic: The Future Profit Trap
Saad requested 2.75M AED for 15 percent, implying an 18.3M AED valuation.
But Epick Works had 130K AED total revenue, only six months in market, no manufacturing assets, no institutional partnerships, no employees, and no facility.
A large valuation requires traction or operational depth, neither existed yet.
Compounding the issue, Saad proposed matching the investor’s 2.75M AED with an equal amount of founder capital after the deal. One Shark summarized the issue sharply:
You are making me pay for my own money.
The valuation was inflated by capital not yet earned. Sharks want to invest in value already created, not hypothetical value that depends on their own money.
Trading vs Manufacturing: The Real Reason the Sharks Walked Away
The Sharks identified three structural red flags.
a. The Team Did Not Match the Industry
The founding team came from events and production, not food manufacturing, supply chain, or food science.
A food security company requires HACCP compliance, industrial processing equipment, food safety systems, technical specialists, and efficient procurement. None of this was in place.
b. Commitment Was Conditional
The founders planned to quit their jobs only after receiving investment. Sharks interpreted this as limited risk tolerance, unclear prioritization, and insufficient founder commitment.
Investors do not want to fund someone’s transition plan. They want founders who are already fully committed.
c. No Operational Infrastructure
At the time of the pitch, Epick Works was an importing operation with no facility, no employees, no manufacturing line, no regulatory framework, and no documented partnerships.
A Shark warned, we are investing in a company that is not there yet.
What Really Stopped the Deal
From an investor’s perspective, Epick Works demonstrated strong regional relevance, compelling early margins, and a mission aligned with national priorities. The product clearly addressed real needs in food security, outdoor recreation, and emergency preparedness. However, the company had not yet achieved the operational maturity required for an investment of this size.
The Sharks needed to see local manufacturing capability, a specialized food industry ready team, regulatory and safety frameworks, institutional traction or pilot partnerships, and valuation supported by current performance.
Without these elements, the valuation could not be justified and the risk remained too high for a 2.75M AED investment.
This outcome was not a rejection of the idea or its long term potential. It was a recognition that Epick Works must advance further in operational development before external capital becomes viable. Once manufacturing capacity, team structure, and regulatory systems are in place, the company’s value proposition could become significantly more investable.