Is PractiBite, the One Year Shelf Life Food Startup, Still Alive in 2025?

PractiBite is a Mexican food‑tech startup founded by industrial engineer Luis Gerardo Arandia. The company focuses on ready‑to‑eat meal trays that use an advanced autoclave vacuum cooking process. These meals do not require refrigeration or preservatives. Instead, they rely on high-temperature sterilization inside sealed packaging to destroy bacteria while preserving fresh homemade flavor. This process makes them safe to store at room temperature for up to one year without spoiling. The startup positioned itself as offering a practical yet authentic alternative to frozen or canned meals, presenting a shelf-stable product that tastes like home cooking.

This innovative approach immediately set PractiBite apart in a country where many families prefer fresh-made meals. It promised convenience without sacrificing quality or safety, especially appealing in urban areas or for people with busy lifestyles.

The Shark Tank México Pitch: Big Promise on TV

When Luis Arandia appeared on Shark Tank México in Season 3 Episode 6, he demonstrated something remarkable. He offered Sharks several meal trays containing traditional Mexican dishes—like picadillo, chicken with mole, tinga, and bistec a la Mexicana—that had been cooked eight months prior. The taste remained fresh, surprising the Sharks and reinforcing the startup’s claim of long shelf life.

Arandia had asked for 500,000 pesos in exchange for 35% equity, based on a pre-money valuation of about 1.43 million pesos. As negotiations progressed, Patricia Armendáriz offered to match his ask. Then Rodrigo Herrera Aspra offered 1.5 million pesos for 40%. Eventually, three Sharks—Patricia, Rodrigo, and Luis Harvey—joined together to invest 1.8 million pesos for a combined equity stake of 45%. That implied a post-money valuation of approximately 4 million pesos. The deal suggested that the Sharks saw more potential in PractiBite than Arandia had originally estimated.

Post-Pitch Momentum: A Promising Start

After the episode aired, PractiBite’s website remained fully functional, offering 6‑pack, 12‑pack, and 20‑pack meal options. Customers could select dishes and customize orders. Pricing was clearly displayed online, indicating active e-commerce capabilities. The business also listed a physical location in Mexico City. This location may have served as a pick-up point or fulfillment center. It reinforced the legitimacy of the startup and offered a local hub for operations.

PractiBite’s website continued to highlight its food as preservative-free and natural, emphasizing convenience while maintaining home-cooked taste. These messages aligned with urban consumers searching for healthier, ready‑to‑eat meal solutions. The ability to buy online and order delivery or pick-up suggested that, at least initially, PractiBite succeeded in turning TV visibility into some level of real-world activity.

Why Did the Startup Go Quiet?

Despite early visibility, PractiBite showed a dramatic drop in public activity after 2019. Its official Facebook page has not posted since September 2019. Instagram posts are limited to old promotions and archived content. A fan‑run group on Facebook posted questions like “Where is PractiBite now?” indicating public curiosity about the company’s current status.

The content on both platforms stopped around the same time. This suggests the company either shifted focus away from social media or slowed marketing efforts. Without recent posts or customer engagement visible online, the once active public image became nearly dormant. There were no press mentions, no new announcements, and no fresh testimonials—like a business simply going silent.

Is PractiBite Still Operating in 2025?

Based on the data available, PractiBite seems to still exist as of 2025—but it may be operating at a low level or in a semi-dormant state. The official website remains online and allows meal orders. That indicates someone is at least maintaining the infrastructure. However, active promotion appears minimal or nonexistent. The social media channels remain but show no meaningful updates for years.

No independent news articles, press releases, or recent interviews acknowledge active operations or new business developments beyond what was shown on the original Shark Tank episode. Some TikTok videos reference the company, but they appear to reuse older content rather than highlight new activity. Together, this pattern suggests PractiBite may be quietly operating at a reduced scale—or that it shifted its energies elsewhere within Grupo Arandia, though still under the PractiBite name.

Did the Shark Tank Deal Actually Close?

We could not find proof that the televised deal fully closed. Shark Tank deals depend on later due diligence, contracts, and follow-through steps. While the on-screen announcement of 1.8 million pesos for 45% equity implied a strong partnership, there is no public record confirming all three Sharks actually completed investment. Notably, Rodrigo Herrera Aspra does not list PractiBite in his public investment portfolio. This absence raises doubt about full involvement.

A known disclaimer on the show states deals are subject to due diligence and binding contracts after filming. In one general interview a Shark stated that “one of the two is still involved in the business,” but it is unclear whether that refers to PractiBite specifically. Without transparent updates from the company or investors, whether the full deal materialized remains unverified.

Lessons from PractiBite’s Journey

PractiBite’s early success shows the power of media exposure. Still, building a food‑tech business is hard:

• Regular social media activity and marketplace listings help build trust—both seem limited here.
• Developing systems for safe, shelf‑stable food requires capital and certification.
• Maintaining production and logistics at scale is expensive.
• The absence of public financial data or customer reviews makes it tougher to prove traction.

Final Verdict: Alive, Dormant, or Disappeared?

In summary, PractiBite appears to still operate in some form in 2025. Customers can access its site, and meal orders are still possible. Yet the company’s diminished public presence, absence of updates, and unclear status of the Shark Tank investment suggest that it may be dormant or running at a much lower scale than initially envisioned.

Without verifiable sales data, updates from the founder, or evidence of growth, it is not possible to confidently say that PractiBite truly scaled. Its continued availability may reflect sustaining its operations at a small scale or operating quietly under a larger group umbrella. The journey shows the difficulty of taking a successful TV pitch and turning it into sustainable, visible business growth.