Patent Attorney and Founder
Sharks, I know you’re all busy. You’ve probably grabbed a snack between meetings—maybe something quick, easy, and filling. That’s where jerky comes in. It’s been around forever, and for good reason: it’s tasty, chewy, and gives you a good boost when you need it.
Now, I’ve gotta say… there’s just something satisfying about tearing into a strip of jerky. The texture, the flavor—it hits the spot.
But here’s the twist.
What you’re biting into right now? It’s not meat. It’s mushrooms.
Yeah—mushrooms.
That satisfying texture, the rich umami, all of it? That’s Pan’s Mushroom Jerky.
People are always surprised when they hear that. But it makes sense. Our jerky is made from shiitake mushrooms, which naturally soak up flavor and have that hearty chew meat-lovers crave.
We keep it simple:
- Just six ingredients in our original flavor
- High in fiber and vitamin D
- No soy, gluten, or junk
And the flavors? We’ve got four:
- Original
- Zesty Thai
- Salt & Pepper
- Applewood BBQ
Each one’s got its own thing going on. I hope you’re enjoying them.
Now, I’m here today asking for $300,000 in exchange for 10% equity in Pan’s Mushroom Jerky.
So, how did I get into mushrooms?
It started on a trip to Malaysia, where my dad grew up in a small fishing village. While visiting family, I sat down for dinner and grabbed what I thought was a piece of pork. Turned out, it wasn’t meat at all—it was mushroom jerky. My cousin, a vegetarian Buddhist, had been making it for years.
It blew my mind. The texture, the flavor—everything about it worked. I kept thinking, why doesn’t everyone know about this?
That moment stuck with me. When I got back, I started testing recipes, refining the process, and eventually launched Pan’s.
Let’s talk numbers.
- Our cost to produce is $1.67 per bag.
- We retail between $7.99 and $8.99.
- Our biggest partner? Whole Foods. We’re in two regions and growing.
- In 2018, we did $300,000 in sales.
- In 2019, we more than doubled—$755,000.
- So far in 2020, we’ve already hit $620,000.
- We’re in over 700 stores.
And yes, Pan’s is a registered trademark, covering mushroom-based snacks.
Now, someone on the panel asked a great question—what about competition? Truth is, we don’t see a lot of others in the mushroom jerky space yet. That’s a good and a bad thing. It means we’ve got a head start, but it also means we’ve got to move fast.
We don’t have a patent, and honestly, it’d be tough to patent a food product like this unless we were doing something truly unique with the formulation or process. Maybe we’ll go the trade secret route. For now, our edge is in the recipe, the brand, and the story.
Cut to the panel…
“I’ve had some great mushroom jerky,” one investor said, “and some… not so great. It really depends on the mushroom and the spices.”
Another chimed in, “Never tried it, but now I’m curious. It’s all about texture, right?”
Exactly. Mushrooms can be amazing—or awful—depending on the variety. Some turn to slime. Others, like shiitakes, have a meaty bite. That’s why we stick to the ones that grow well and scale easily.
There was also a fun sidebar about gourmet mushrooms and how they could work in high-end or local food markets, especially for chefs looking to try new ingredients. It’s not just jerky—mushrooms have potential in all kinds of products, from snacks to restaurant dishes to leather alternatives.
One team mentioned a mushroom leather company in Chicago. They’re not using the mushrooms themselves, but the mycelium—the root-like structure that grows underground. Turns out, you can grow that stuff like beer yeast, then shape it into a tough, leather-like material. It’s wild.
Another point someone raised was about scalability. Growing mushrooms isn’t like growing lettuce. They don’t need sunlight, and you can basically farm them in the dark. One guy described it like this:
“Picture a closet full of mushroom tanks, stacked high, each one like a little thermos with tubes in and out. Feed them sugar water, and boom—mushrooms.”
That kind of setup could be underground, out of sight, and super efficient. No fancy lights. No big fields. Just science, plumbing, and a lot of fungi.
There was even talk about using less common mushrooms—like chanterelles—for premium jerky. That’s where specialty growers might step in. It’d be smaller batch, more boutique. Not mass-market, but maybe a hit at high-end food stores or farmers markets.
Final thoughts?
Mushrooms are weird. Mushrooms are powerful. And right now, they’re having a moment—from jerky to leather to protein powder.
Pan’s is riding that wave, and we’re just getting started.