Credit: CNBC
Highlights
- Season 11 of Shark Tank presented audiences with captivating stories and plenty of emotions.
- The season saw Maria Sharapova and Rohan Oza take over as Guest panelists.
- From million-dollar deals to zero offers from the judges, pitches like Yellow Leaf Hammocks and Slate stood out from the rest.
The success of reality shows is a collective outcome of raw emotions, real stories, and genuine talent. If you look back at the various episodes of Shark Tank, the same has been reflected through its pitches. Shark Tank Season 11 is a classic example of emotions and entertainment that enticed its viewers.
From inspirational pitches like Neuro to heated bidding fights in Bala Bangles, emotions and business talks flowed across a variety of pitches. Guest Sharks Maria Sharapova and Rohan Oza graced the panel, which further enhanced the show’s graph.
Below is a list of the best as well as the worst pitches on Shark Tank Season 11 that you need to know:
Shark Tank Season 11: Best Pitches
Shark Tank Season 11 was one of the best seasons ever due to the quality of pitches brought in different episodes. From the clear-cut presentation in Circadian Optics to the thoroughly prepared entrepreneurs Boho, different pitches showed why Shark Tank serves as an entrepreneurial guide for aspiring pitchers.
1. Boho
In one of the most enjoyable pitches on Shark Tank Season 11, two young pitchers who knew their numbers and had a good product and business plan received multiple offers from the investors. The Boho founders earned praise for their knowledge, attitude, and presentation.
A stylish trend in accommodation, Boho, was a camper van business brought to the Sharks by David Sodemann and Brett Ellenson. The investment sought was $300K for a 10% equity. Projecting it as an affordable alternative in the camper van arena, they stated that the business was meant for both rent and sale purposes.
To make their pitch interesting and engaging, they called upon the Sharks into their van to give a demo of how it looks from the inside. The Sharks seemed really excited and made their offers. Guest Shark Rohan Oza proposed $300K for 25% equity.
Barbara Corcoran was next to offer $300K for 10%, but she said she would pay $150K in cash and the rest $150K as a credit loan. After this, Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary offered $300K at 20% and $300K at 7% respectively. The entrepreneurs finally accepted Barbara’s deal.
2. Yellow Leaf Hammocks
Yellow Leaf Hammocks was one of the best pitches on Shark Tank Season 11 for three different reasons. These are – a simple yet mindful product, entrepreneurs’ command of numbers, and clever negotiation abilities that landed them with a huge deal.
The entrepreneur duo of Rachel Connors and Joe Demin tried their luck on Shark Tank pitching for their eco-friendly hammocks business. They sought an investment of $400K for 7% equity. Emphasizing the features, the entrepreneurs described that the products were weather-safe yarn and cotton rope for outdoors and indoors, respectively.
In 2019, they had touched the million-dollar figure through $1.3 million in sales. This impressed the judges, who then offered their deals. Robert Herjavec proposed $400K at 15% equity. Lori Greiner offered $200K for 7% equity.
Guest Shark Daniel Lubetzky proposed a huge $1 million for 33% equity. But the entrepreneurs kept trying to convince him through a round of counter offers till he finally settled for $1 million at 25% equity. Thus, the entrepreneurs scored big by this huge deal at $1 million for 25%, something much bigger than what they had sought.
3. Circadian Optics
Circadian Optics finds a spot in the best pitches list of Shark Tank Season 11 for multiple reasons. Firstly, the entrepreneur was thoroughly prepared for any questions related to the business, including sales figures and future vision. Secondly, without being dramatic, she discussed her humble beginnings, earning praise from the judges.
Aspiring entrepreneur Amber Leong approached the Sharks seeking $750K for 10% equity. Circadian Optics offered lamps that could help one end the troubles of tiredness happening due to lack of sunlight during winter. Highlighting her motivation, she revealed the sacrifices made by her parents.
Impressed by her story, the investors inquired about her numbers. Amber revealed to have made $4 million through sales alongside a 70% profit margin. This made the investors propose their offers one by one. Kevin O’Leary, along with Barbara Corcoran, offered $750K for 20% equity.
Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner also offered the same, along with an additional $50K for her parents. Eventually, Amber accepted Lori and Mark’s offer. While she was walking off, Kevin told her that this was one of the best presentations on the show.
Shark Tank Season 11: Worst Pitches
While the pitches discussed above managed to keep the viewers impressed and also grabbed amazing offers from the investors, there were some that could not make it through. From Slate to Beddley, check out the pitches that are considered one of the worst on Shark Tank Season 11:
1. Slate
Slate was one of the worst pitches on Shark Tank Season 11 for two reasons. Firstly, the valuation sought for this pre-sales product was way higher than what it should have been. Secondly, the investors did not like the taste of the edible product (a basic criterion for investing in such a product).
The entrepreneur duo of Josh Belinsky and Manny Lubin approached the panelists with their chocolate milk product Slate. Pitching it as a product that was ideal for millennials, the two of them sought $400K for 10% equity. When they handed out samples, the investors did not like the taste.
Highlighting the business figures, Josh and Manny stated to have made about $51K and $53K through Kickstarter and IndieGoGo initiatives, respectively. The duo further revealed that Slate was still in its pre-sale stage, which further prompted the Sharks not to make any offer.
Ultimately, both entrepreneurs had to walk out without a deal.
2. Beddley
Beddley finds its name in the list of worst pitches to be brought to Shark Tank Season 11 due to the entrepreneur’s miscalculated valuation. Although she had made a little less than $50K in two years since the business started, she asked for a whopping $1.5 million valuation.
Making her way to the panelists, Lola Ogden pitched Beddley a line of duvet covers that were easy to fit. The investment sought was $150K for 10% equity. While the Sharks were initially a bit impressed during the presentation, their excitement soon disappeared upon hearing the numbers.
The duvet collection was available in different patterns and colors at prices including $139 and $149 for the queen and king sizes, respectively. Lola further revealed that the company was selling only on the online platform. The amount made in two years till 2019 was under $50K.
Learning about the money earned in two years, the Sharks compared it with the asked valuation and refused to invest. So, Lola did not grab any deal.
3. Plopstar
Although Plopstar made a smashing entry in front of the investors, it failed to justify its distinctive nature, which made it better than other similar businesses. The poor pitch execution put Plopstar on the list of worst pitches presented to the judges on Shark Tank Season 11.
Tyler Jay approached the Sharks with Plopstar, a unique bathroom deodorizer. Entering the set by riding on a toilet, he earned laughs from the investors. The investment sought was $150K for 10% equity. Going ahead in the pitch, Tyler stated Poo Pourri to be his prime competitor.
He wanted the assistance of the investors to enter the retail arena and take on his competitor. However, they felt he lacked any clear strategy, and the business would require them to do too much work to get a good return.
In the end, with no concrete answers from Tyler, none of the judges invested.
Conclusion
Shark Tank Season 11 offered its viewers a multitude of emotions and strategic pitches. While some of the entrepreneurs managed to wow the judges with their preparedness, others lagged
a bit due to miscalculated valuations and inability to answer when required.
From the success of Boho to the failure of Slate, each pitch of the season presented valuable lessons for the new pitchers.
References
WHAT HAPPENED TO BOHO CAMPER VANS FROM SHARK TANK SEASON 11?, Slash Gear, Eli Becht
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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