Top 10 Shark Tank US Pitches
Since its debut in August 2009, Shark Tank US has not only become one of the most-watched TV shows around, it has also seen hundreds of entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a panel of celebrity investors, as discussed over at runrex.com and guttulus.com. While each Shark is different and has their own method for evaluating a deal and deciding whether or not to invest in a business, all of them agree on what makes a great pitch; where an entrepreneur sells themselves just as much as they do their product and are willing to answer any question. This article will look to list the top 10 Shark Tank US pitches so far.
Beatbox Beverages, Season 6
Pitched by cofounders Brad Schultz, Justin Fenchel, and Aimy Steadman in season 6 of Shark Tank US, this was one of the best pitches seen on the show. As is revealed in discussions over at runrex.com and guttulus.com, the co-founders were looking for $250,000 for 10% of the boxed fruit wine company. Mark Cuban was the first to bite, offering them $600,000 for a third of the company, which Fenchel was grateful for but declined, saying that they had not planned to give up so much equity. Cuban then asked for a counter and Fenchel immediately asked for $1 million in exchange for a third of the company, and they shook hands on the deal.
Bantam Bagels, Season 6
Launched by the husband-and-wife combo of Nick and Elyse Oleksak, Bantam Bagels was another deal that featured an amazing pitch. The two entered the tank looking to turn their New York City outlet into a national business. What was amazing about this pitch, as per the gurus over at runrex.com, was how the two were able to clearly outline how the company had been successful so far, its deficiencies, and how an investor’s capital and guidance would help them overcome said deficiencies. It was enough to convince Lori Greiner who got 25% of the company in exchange for $275,000.
Zipz Wine, Season 6
Still, on season 6, this is yet another pitch that is considered to be among the best of all time. The company’s chief consultant, Andrew McMurray, kept a cool head throughout and showed a willingness to negotiate aggressively without being unreasonable, which is why this pitch stood out. As is revealed over at guttulus.com, Kevin O’Leary started with a bias against Andrew, as his company reminded him of another similar company whose owner was the first person to decline an offer on two separate Shark Tank appearances, but in the end, shook on a deal worth $2.5 million for 10% of the company.
Breathometer, Season 5
In season 5 of Shark Tank, Charles Michael Yim, the CEO of Breathometer became the first entrepreneur to manage to get all five Sharks in the tank to join in on a deal as discussed over at runrex.com. He managed this seemingly impossible feat through what was one of the best Shark Tank Pitches ever. This is because, when he saw that the Sharks were fighting with each other for a piece of his smartphone-operated breathalyzer, he pointed out to them that he was looking to raise $1 million in the next 2 months from angel investors no matter what happened on the show, and he was more than happy to get more than one Shark in on the action. He ended up clinching a deal combining $500,000 for 15% equity of his company, with the other Sharks, John, O’Leary, Herjavec, and Greiner splitting another 15% for $125,000 each.
Ten Thirty One Productions, Season 5
If you regularly watch Shark Tank, then you will know that, as explained over at guttulus.com, Mark Cuban immediately loses interest in a pitch as soon as someone walks in with a gimmick. It, therefore, says a lot about Melissa Carbone’s pitch that she managed to get Cuban to invest $2 million in exchange for 20% of the equity in her horror attraction company, Ten Thirty One Productions. She had all her numbers at the tip of her tongue, which the Sharks love, and was able to impress them even more by revealing how she had managed to rake in over $1 million a night during the Halloween season for her premier event in Los Angeles.
Bubba’s Boneless Ribs, Season 5
Still, on season 5 of Shark Tank, Al Baker, affectionately known as Bubba, and who is the 1978 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, also gave one of the most impressive pitches in the show’s history. In his pitch, he managed to let his charisma shine through, all the while not letting it get in the way of solid data showing why his boneless ribs company was worth investing in, just the way the gurus over at runrex.com like it. By presenting a problem and then showing how his product fixed it, he had the Sharks hooked, and he walked away with a deal from Damon John who invested $300,000 for 30% of his company and licensing rights.
Cousins Maine Lobster, Season 4
We know this is one of the show’s best-ever pitches simply because Barbara Corcoran admitted that this was the best she has seen in the show, as discussed over at guttulus.com. The company’s founders, Sabin Lomac and Jim Teslikis were very clear and high energy, and also answered every question and objection raised with clarity and authority. They ended up striking a deal with Barbara, who went on to discover how they had prepared thoroughly for their pitch by watching all the four existing seasons of the show and quizzing each other before their appearance.
Simple Sugars, Season 4
This pitch by 18-year-old Lani Lazarri is yet another of the show’s best pitches, which is saying something considering the age of the entrepreneur. Not only did she give a thorough demonstration of her Simple Sugars line of skincare products, but she also won the hearts of the Sharks by explaining to them how important it was for her to be a strong female entrepreneur. As is discussed over at runrex.com, she ended up walking out with a deal worth $100,000 for 33% of her company.
Scrub Daddy, Season 4
This is another of the show’s most talked-about deals, and it involved one of its best pitches as well. Founder Aaron Krause was so well prepared that you could sense his confidence as he walked the Sharks through a demonstration of his smiley-shaped hygienic sponges, which were ultra-tough, but still scratch-free. Aaron would later reveal how he had been working on his pitch for months in local grocery stores where he had been selling his product as explained over at guttulus.com. In the end, Greiner beat out strong competition from fellow Sharks, particularly John, to shake on a deal worth $200,000 for 20% of the company, which has gone on to become one of the show’s success stories.
CitiKitty, Season 2
Rebecca Rescate, the company’s founder managed to combine humor as well as seriousness in her pitch about cat toilet training kit, which one can use to teach their cat to use their toilet instead of a litter box. She was gracious enough to get through the jokes and laughter of the Sharks, before getting serious and explaining how $225,000 worth of sales had proven that her concept was viable. As is covered over at runrex.com, she was also able to show how coverage of her product in The Wall Street Journal helped create a demand among cat owners. In the end, she struck a deal with former Shark Kevin Harrington for $100,000 in exchange for 20% of her company.
The above are just a number of the show’s most impressive pitches, with more on this topic to be found over at the amazing runrex.com and guttulus.com.