Biem

Biem was a countertop device built to solve a small but real kitchen annoyance: spreading butter. It heated a stick of real butter and dispensed it as a fine, even spray, so you could coat toast, popcorn, vegetables, or a pan without melting butter in the microwave or hacking away at a cold stick. The Texas-based product was led by founder Doug Foreman, a food-industry veteran who pitched it as a healthier, more convenient way to use real butter rather than processed sprays.

On Shark Tank Season 8, Foreman asked for $500,000 for 5 percent of the company. Lori Greiner liked the concept and reached a verbal agreement on air for $500,000 in exchange for 14 percent equity. The novelty of buttering food with a spray of real, melted butter made for a memorable demo, and the deal seemed like a strong endorsement from a shark known for kitchen and lifestyle products.

Biem stood out for its sheer novelty and the instantly understandable promise of warm butter on demand. The gadget tapped into the appeal of real-food convenience, and the on-air spray demonstration was the kind of moment that gets a product talked about, even if the underlying engineering would prove harder to deliver than it looked.

The deal with Lori Greiner did not close after the episode, reportedly because the device lacked a reliable working prototype during due diligence. The product drew strong early interest and sales, but it ran into significant quality and reliability problems, and the company faced customer complaints about faulty units and refund issues.

Biem is no longer in business. The team attempted redesigns and a crowdfunding campaign for a new version, but that effort fell well short of its goal, and the brand went quiet by the end of the decade with products listed as out of stock. The packet's note that it is still selling is not accurate; the company effectively shut down and the sprayer is no longer produced.