Entrepreneur Micah Truman and licensed funeral director Katey Houston pitched their human composting company on Shark Tank Season 15. The company, Return Home, provides an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial. It uses a process called terramation to convert a human body into soil within 60 to 90 days.
The terramation process used by Return Home has no negative effects on water, air, or plants. The company’s goal is to protect the environment through this green alternative. So, did any Sharks support this goal? Let’s find out.
| Company Name | Return Home | |
| Founder/Co-Founder | Micah Truman | |
| Founded | Jan 2019 | |
| Product | Green alternative of cremation or burial | |
| Asked For | $2 Million for 5% equity | |
| Final Deal | No Deals | |
| Shark | No Sharks | |
| Episode | S15 E2 | |
| Air Date | Oct 6th, 2023 | |
| Business Status | In Business | |
| Website | Visit Website | |
| Headquarters | Auburn, Washington, United States | |
| Lifetime Worth (Sales) | $1M *estimated | |
| Valuation | $40 Million | |
| Buy and Watch | Buy Now | Amazon Prime |
What Is the Background of The Founder?
Micah Truman is the Founder and CEO of Return Home, a company he founded in January 2019. After studying Politics and East Asian Studies at Oberlin College, Micah served as the General Manager of The Knot’s China business.
Business Pitch Episode Recap
Micah and Katey, after entering Shark Tank, explained their business Return Home by highlighting a critical issue: every year, 3.6 million people in America die, and the common practices of cremation or burial are not environmentally friendly.
To address this, they founded Return Home, a company that uses a process called terramation to turn bodies into soil. In this process, the body is placed in a vessel with straw, alfalfa, and sawdust, which serve as the best microbes to transform the body into nutrient-rich soil.
Lori Greiner asked how they would manage if they received 40 bodies. Katey responded that they have 77 vessels and can process up to 74 bodies per month. All the vessels are stored in a 12,000-square-foot warehouse.
Micah explained that in the United States, 3.4 million people die each year. The growth of cremation is currently at 57%, meaning about 2 million bodies go through the cremation process annually.
The cost of cremation with a matching funeral is $7,000, while a burial funeral costs $8,000, not including the plot. Return Home offers all services and facilities for $5,500.
Mark Cuban asked about the market competition. In response, Micah mentioned that three companies are operating in Washington State.
Kevin O’Leary asked why the company is valued at $40 million. Micah explained that in 2022, the company made $350,000 in sales and expects to match that amount by the end of May 2023. However, the company is currently operating at a loss.
Mark asked how much money was raised and at what valuation. Micah responded that they have raised a total of $5 million and that the company’s last valuation was $20.6 million a year ago.
Micah asked for a higher valuation, which led Mark to say that he was out.
The company makes $3,800 per body. The cost to transform a body into soil is $1,200, and they process 70 bodies each month.
Kevin liked the business idea but felt the margins were too low, so he is out.
Daniel Lubetzky said the valuation makes no sense, so he is out.
Daymond John said he is not passionate about investing in the funeral business, so he is out.
Lori thought the company was overvalued, so she is out.
Sharks Offers list!
| Sharks | Offers |
|---|---|
| Daniel Lubetzky | No Offer |
| Kevin O’Leary | No Offer |
| Mark Cuban | No Offer |
| Daymond John | No Offer |
| Lori Greiner | No Offer |
| Founder’s (Countered) | No Counters |
| Final Deals | No Deals |
Return Home Shark Tank Update
The company is working for a good cause, but they did not receive investment in Shark Tank due to their high valuation. However, they benefited from free promotion on television, which likely led to some sales of their services.
Check out Shark Tank Season 15 Business Update.
You can see some businesses from Season 15 here.
