There have been some iconic investments on Shark Tank, like Scrub Daddy and Squatty Potty, some serious misses (think the Ring video doorbell), and then there have been some truly iconic pitches. Some of these pitches were iconic because they were impressive, resulting in an investment from one or more of the Sharks. Some were iconic because either the pitch or the product was downright terrible. A few simply led to fun or emotional moments that made them go viral.
For fans of the show, if these episodes don’t ring a bell, they are worth sourcing online or via streaming to watch again (or first the first time). They’ll elicit laughs, cries, even inspiration.
Shark Tank
- Release Date
- August 9, 2009
- Cast
- Mark Cuban
- Seasons
- 11
10 EmazingLights
Season 6
Emazing Lights was a simple yet genius product: LED lighted gloves that can be worn at events like raves and concerts. Dancing with these gloves, especially to electronic dance music (EDM), adds an exciting element to the experience that owner Brian Lim explained is called gloving. He asked for $650,000 for a 5 percent stake in the business, which already had millions in sales at the time. Lim impressed the judges as he spoke about his work ethic, from the time when his parents emigrated from China, and he started selling CDs door to door. Having secured a patent, sporting healthy margins, and taking hold of the EDM scene, EmazingLights was really onto something. After receiving multiple offers, Lim accepted one from Mark Cubanand Daymond John for 8 percent equity and a 20 percent commission on licensing deals.
According to Shark Tank Blog, as of January 2023, the company’s annual revenue was $20 million. Sadly, however, given that its business was reliant on the club and EDM scene, EmazingLights shut down shortly after as a result of losses due to the pandemic, according to EDMidentity.com. But the pitch goes down as one of the most solid ever on Shark Tank, one of the best network reality TV shows. Robert Herjavec called Kim one of the best, if not the best, entrepreneurs they ever had on the show at the time.
9 Lumio
Season 6
Lumio is an interesting invention that reinvents an otherwise fairly stagnant category. It’s a new way to present lighting in a room of the home. It opens like a book and can be placed anywhere, easily moved around from one room to another. Use it as a nightlight in the bedroom, for example, even open it 180° to showcase a circle of LED light pages, thus adjusting lighting to the intensity and direction needed. It was unlike anything ever seen and Lumio got the Sharks really excited.
Lumio was one of those rare occasions when all five Sharks not only delivered an offer but fought for the investment. Owner Max Gunawan wanted $250,000 for 8 percent equity. He ended up taking a deal with Robert Herjavec for more money at $350,000 and 10 percent equity. Unfortunately, according to the Shark Tank Blog, the deal with Herjavec never closed, but Lumio continues to operate to this day. As of January 2023, the company had $5 million in annual revenee.
8 Copa Di Vino
Season 2 and 3
James Martin, founder of Copa Di Vino, had serious confidence in the business because he declined an offer on the show not once, but twice. The concept is premium wine housed in recyclable, single-serve plastic containers with resealable splash-proof caps. It’s a great way to enjoy a single glass of wine on the go while still getting a premium-level product. He wanted $600,000 for 20 percent of the company, which was already enjoying a level of success, stocked in a few major grocery chains. Kevin O’Leary, who works in the wine business, offered the asking price but wanted a 51 percent controlling interest in the company. Not surprisingly, Martin said no.
A year later, Martin returned to Shark Tank to provide an update and seek an investment once again. This time, he wanted half as much money for just 5 percent, so he could invest in keeping up with production. This time, he got an offer from O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, and Mark Cuban for twice the money for a 30 percent stake. Before Martin could decline again, Cuban backed out and Herjavec was so angered at the suspicion that Martin was going to decline again that he walked off set. Now available in stores like Walmart and 7-Eleven, Copa Di Vino has reportedly tripled in size since, according to Food Republic. The company continues to refine its product and expand offerings.
7 Breathometer
Season 5, 2013
Despite Mark Cuban calling Breathometer the worst investment deal he has ever made on the show, according to CNBC, the product made history as the first company to get an investment from all five Sharks. The concept was a smartphone breathalyzer that could purportedly accurately measure your blood alcohol content (BAC) and report the figure on a connected phone. If the level is too high, the companion app includes a link to call a taxi. Owner Charles Michael Kim even handed each shark a glass of champagne so they could take a taste, then try the product out.
Cuban, along with Kevin O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Lori Greiner, invested $1 million together for a 30 percent stake split among them. But soon after, Cuban said he was turned off by seeing images of Kim partying up all over the world instead of working on building the business. “Next thing you know,” Cuban adds, “all of the money’s gone.” CNCB cites a Federal Trade Commission complaint against Kim and the product, alleging that it misled customers with no scientific evidence to back up its claims. Breathometer, then, is one of the most iconic pitches both for what happened during the pitch and after.
6 Kisstixx
Season 3
How could it be possible to convince the Sharks that this innovative lip balm creates different flavors each time two people kiss? The only way is to have two of the Sharks kiss one another, and this is exactly what happened in this viral moment on the show. The idea behind Kisstixx is that two flavors create a new one when two people wearing different balms lock lips. Owners Dallas Robinson and Mike Buonomo somehow convinced Kevin O’Leary and Barbara Corcoran to plant one on one another, albeit reluctantly, to test out the merits of the product.
The owners wanted $200,000 for 20 percent of the company, and while both O’Leary and Corcoran were out, Mark Cuban liked the future plans to launch gum and breath spray and offered $200,000 for a 40 percent stake, double the equity. The two men accepted and were off to the races. But the chuckles that the kiss elicited remains more memorable than the actual deal. According to Shark Tank Blog, Cuban names Kisstixx one of his best investments on the show so far.
5 Ionic Ear
Season 1
Sometimes, the most iconic Shark Tank pitches are as such because of how bad they are. From the very first episode of the show, Ionic Ear still remains one of the weirdest ever. At a time when Bluetooth headsets were all the rage, founder Darrin Johnson thought he had a better way. Instead of charging, inserting, and removing Bluetooth earbuds, and repeating this process as needed, he dreamed up a Bluetooth device implant that would be surgically attached to the ear. Surgery would implant it into the ear canal. Of course, it still requires power. Johnson felt connecting a charging device into the wearer’s ear for a few hours was a viable solution.
Not only was the invention absolutely shocking, Johnson wanted $1 million for just 15 percent of the company. While society might not be far off from surgically implanted devices under the skin – it’s already the thing of futuristic movies – the concept made little sense. Johnson may very well just have been several decades, perhaps centuries, ahead of his time. Robert Herjavec summed it up best: “Darrin, here’s insanity, here’s genius. You’re somewhere.” With no records of the company’s existence anywhere, according to SlashGear, it’s safe to say no one was willing to listen to this idea.
4 Cup Board Pro
Season 10
Cup Board Pro isn’t iconic for the product itself nor the investment it received, but rather the incredible story behind it. In one of the most emotionally heart-wrenching pitches ever on the show, the invention was born from incredible tragedy. Three children, Christian, Keira, and Kaley, told the story through their audition tape. Their father, Keith Young, a New York City firefighter and chef, invented the product in 2010. It’s a simple yet clever cutting board that has a detachable cup along the side that can be used to collect chopped product or capture run-off liquid. When the kids’ mother and Keith’s wife passed away from breast cancer in 2011, however, Young put the product on hold to care for his children. At their urging, he competed on the competition show Chopped, which he won twice. But in 2015, after being on site at Ground Zero following 9-11, Young was diagnosed with cancer and passed away three years later. To honor his memory, his children decided to bring back Cup Board Pro and try to launch it at Shark Tank.
Wiping tears away, the Sharks heard the reasonable ask of $100,000 for 10 percent and immediately asked the trio to leave the room so they could discuss. When they returned, the five Sharks advised that they were all going to invest. They provided the funds, asked for a 20 percent stake, and all committed to donating their profits to firefighters and first responders who suffered ill effects from Ground Zero. According to Food Republic, Daymond John called Cup Board Pro the “most emotional pitch” he had sat through in his decade on the show at that time, saying he almost had to leave the set because of how emotional it was making him. Now available in retailers like Williams Sonoma, the company was worth about $15 million as of 2023.
3 Wink Frozen Desserts
Season 7
Sometimes, entrepreneurs come into the Tank with innovative new food products using alternative ingredients or methods of manufacturing. Whether they get an investment or not, the Sharks are often impressed, diving into the samples with vigor, eyes bright at the taste. That wasn’t the case with Wink Frozen Desserts. Gabe Wolff started experimenting with creating a healthier frozen treat alternative. The creation was reportedly dairy-free, fat-free, sugar-free, and free of the top eight allergens. But even the lactose-intolerant Mark Cuban winced at the taste. In fact, none of the Sharks liked it. Kevin O’Leary meanly advised that it was “taste-free.” He pointed out that while adding some sugar and fat to the mix would double the caloric count, it would still make the product a healthier option to most ice cream pints. But the pair weren’t willing to change their formula.
Wolff and his partner Ani Blinova wanted $300,000 for a 15 percent stake. Not surprisingly, they did not secure a deal. It seems customers may have agreed, as Wink Frozen Desserts went out of business in 2020, according to Mashed.com. As one of the most underrated ABC shows, Shark Tank shows that not every business idea is a good one.
2 Scrub Daddy
Season 4
Scrub Daddy has become a household name, with many people owning one or at least knowing what it is. And the brand got its big break on Shark Tank. Owner Aaron Krause introduced his happy face-shaped sponge with three holes on the show. It’s designed to be easy to hold with fingers, and to get soft in warm water and hard in cold. This makes it a versatile household cleaning product that can be used for everything from dishes to lawn furniture. Krause accepted a deal from Lori Greiner for $200,000 for 20 percent, and Scrub Daddy went on to become one of the most successful Shark Tank businesses ever.
According to Fortune, Scrub Daddy now has a net worth of more than $220 million. While the Scrub Daddy sponge remains its anchor product, the brand now offers lots more, including scouring pads, mops, and microfiber towels. When people talk about Shark Tank, Scrub Daddy is often one of the first companies from the show that comes to mind.
1 Ring Video Doorbell (DoorBot)
Season 5
Considered to be one of the biggest misses in Shark Tank history, Jamie Siminoff showed up on the Tank with his exciting tech product. It was a video doorbell called DoorBot at the time. It came with Wi-Fi connectivity and let homeowners see who was at the door from their phones, even talk to them remotely. Today, that’s pretty common practice, but more than a decade ago, all the Sharks but Kevin O’Leary couldn’t wrap their heads around the concept. While O’Leary made an offer, Siminoff didn’t think it was acceptable, and he was right.
DoorBot was in trouble at the time, but the company pulled through, thanks in part to his appearance on the show. It eventually went on to become Ring, one of the top-rated video doorbell brands that has become synonymous with the category, just like Kleenex has for tissues and Band-Aid for bandages. In 2018, Ring was sold to Amazon for $1 billion, according to CNBC. In a sweet sense of poetic justice, Siminoff has since appeared on Shark Tank as one of the guest judges, sitting alongside the very people who passed on making a deal with him.
