The Shark Tank format has always been a simple idea: pitch something real, face honest questions, walk away with either funding or a lesson. After 17 seasons, that format has spread far beyond ABC's studio in Los Angeles. In June 2026, two very different organizations ran Shark Tank-style competitions — one for cutting-edge epilepsy research, one for high school students with business ideas. Neither had anything to do with the TV show directly. Both prove how deeply the format has embedded itself in how people think about innovation.

Epilepsy Foundation Awards $250,000 at 14th Annual Shark Tank Competition

On June 18, 2026, the Epilepsy Foundation of America held its 14th annual Shark Tank competition at the Pipeline Conference in Leesburg, Virginia. The event awarded $250,000 in total funding to researchers and innovators working to improve the lives of people with epilepsy — one of the most common chronic brain disorders in the world, affecting nearly 3.4 million Americans.

The competition — co-sponsored by the Danny Did Foundation — featured two award categories, each with its own panel of judges (Sharks) and its own winner determined by live audience and judge voting.

Community Award ($50,000): Jainu Jogani — CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder

The 2026 Community Award went to Jainu Jogani of the Child's Cure Genetic Research Foundation, whose project is testing allopurinol — an FDA-approved drug already used to treat gout — as a repurposed treatment for CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder, a rare and severe form of epilepsy affecting children. Drug repurposing projects like this can move to clinical application faster than entirely new compounds, making the research approach as innovative as the finding. Community finalist Brin Freund, MD (Mayo Clinic Florida) also pitched a new technique for non-invasive neuromodulation to treat drug-resistant epilepsy.

Community Sharks included Jack Parent, MD (University of Michigan), Gabi Conecker (Executive Director, DEE-P Connections), Claude Steriade, MD (New York University), and Michelle Theeuwes (Epilepsy Foundation Research Ambassador).

Investment Prize ($200,000): Sydney Cash — NeuroWeaves

The larger Investment Prize — $200,000 from the NeuroImpact Fund — was awarded to Sydney Cash, MD, PhD, founder of NeuroWeaves, for developing thin gold-thread EEG electrodes that stay in place without adhesive glue and can deliver hospital-quality brain monitoring for 30 or more days. For epilepsy patients, long-term EEG monitoring is often critical to diagnosis and treatment planning — existing approaches are either imprecise, impractical for extended wear, or reliant on cumbersome setups. NeuroWeaves addresses all three.

Investment finalists included Deven Sanon (Mosaica Medicines), developing a new anti-seizure medication for focal epilepsy, and Andy Gotshalk (Neurologic Solutions), whose EpiScalp software generates an epilepsy risk score from just 20 minutes of routine EEG data. Investment Sharks included Dennis Dlugos, MD (Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania), Michael Fenn, PhD (Iaso Ventures), Danielle Hochman (patient advocate), and May Liang, JD (former Epilepsy Foundation board member).

"This year's Shark Tank Competition showcased the extraordinary creativity and determination driving progress across the epilepsy community," said Bernice "Bee" Martin Lee, CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation of America. "This $250,000 investment reflects our commitment to advancing therapies and uplifting community-based solutions that create a lasting impact."

The event also presented the Epilepsy Foundation's Lifetime Accelerator Award to Joyce A. Cramer, whose career has significantly advanced epilepsy clinical trial design and patient-reported outcome research. More information on the annual competition is available at epilepsy.com/sharktank.

Vegas Chamber's First 'Baby Shark Tank' Gives Teens a Real Stage

On June 24, 2026, the Vegas Chamber held its annual Business Expo at the World Market Center in Las Vegas — and for the first time, it included a "Baby Shark Tank" competition designed specifically for teen entrepreneurs. Around 1,000 people registered for the broader expo, which also featured Resource Row (small business support organizations including the Nevada Department of Business & Industry and Nevada Small Business Development Center), Ted Talk-style sessions, and networking opportunities for local business owners.

Three teenage finalists pitched their ideas to a panel of three judges, answered live questions, and competed for cash prizes.

Place Contestant Idea
1st Reyna Allen Life Launch — an app to teach life skills and financial literacy to teenagers and young adults
2nd Rico Cruse Rock with Rico — a platform to help organizations connect with young people
3rd Chayse Luckie A food truck concept designed around dietary sensitivity and community representation

Chayse Luckie, who had never competed in a pitch competition before, said he would use his $200 prize to buy ingredients. "I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share my idea," Luckie said. "I like to be a speaker of sorts and speak up for communities and get those voices heard."

"I think what's great about Baby Shark Tank is that these are ideas that teenagers are coming up with to solve a problem," said Cara Clarke, VP of Communications at the Vegas Chamber. "They've watched the show. They've gotten excited about what they can be doing to create positive change in the business community."

Mary Beth Sewald, President and CEO of the Vegas Chamber, called it a "great way" to engage young entrepreneurs. "As a chamber of commerce, we're always trying to foster growth and business friendly individuals at a young age."

Also in the Tank: Three Jerks Jerky Goes Quiet

While two organizations were launching new Shark Tank-style competitions this June, one actual Shark Tank company appears to have reached the end of its run. Three Jerks Jerky — the premium filet mignon jerky brand that won a deal with Daymond John in Season 7 — is showing all the signs of a permanent closure.

The company had a remarkable run after the show: $1.4 million in sales within three months of airing, placement in 3,000 retail stores, a partnership with SpaceX to send jerky to the International Space Station, and an appearance on HSN that sold out in six minutes. As recently as 2022, the brand was reportedly generating around $4 million in annual revenue. But their website now displays a closing notice and is no longer operational, and their social media has gone completely dark with no recent activity. The site's parting message: "Thanks for trusting us jerks over the years. We appreciate your business."

We've updated the Three Jerks Jerky product page on this site to reflect the apparent closure. It's not the ending anyone who watched that pitch would have predicted — but most Shark Tank stories don't end neatly.

The Format That Keeps Spreading

What connects a Virginia medical conference, a Las Vegas business expo, and a decade-long jerky brand is the same underlying story: Shark Tank's fingerprint on how we talk about entrepreneurship. The format inspires new competitions. It gives people a framework for thinking about pitching and risk. And the companies it launched keep writing new chapters — some triumphant, some quiet.

Neither the Epilepsy Foundation competition nor the Vegas Chamber's Baby Shark Tank has any formal connection to the ABC series. They don't need one. The format has become its own cultural shorthand for how to surface innovation and give entrepreneurs a moment to be taken seriously. Whether the prize is $200,000 in medical research funding or $200 in grocery money for a high schooler's food truck idea, the structure is the same: show up, make your case, answer the hard questions.

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