Credit: Curie Website
Highlights
- Shark Tank Season 13 offered the audiences with over 100 pitches.
- Emma Grede, Kevin Hart, Nirav Tolia, and Peter Jones joined the regular Sharks.
- Read below to find out which pitches secured deals and which all failed.
With every new season, Shark Tank presents its treasure box of exciting pitches, engrossing negotiations, and a noteworthy guest Shark list. The trend was no different in Shark Tank Season 13. From unique sign boards to thoughtful skincare products for different skin tones, viewers saw a variety of pitches.
Guest Sharks Kevin Hart, Peter Jones, Nirav Tolia, and Emma Grede made landmark deals that further helped the ratings soar high. Below are some of the best and worst pitches of Shark Tank Season 13.
Shark Tank Season 13: Best Pitches
Shark Tank Season 13 witnessed a series of exciting pitches that were thoroughly prepared, presented a clear business idea, and praiseworthy negotiation skills. From Curie to Range Beauty, have a look at the best pitches of the season.
1. Curie
Curie was one of the best pitches on Shark Tank season 13 due to the pitcher’s excellent negotiation skills, firm grasp of business-related numbers, and impeccable understanding of the products. Sarah Moret brought the pitch to the judges, and the investment sought was $300K for 5% equity.
The pitch was extremely precise and to the point. Sarah started by discussing the pain points of aluminum loaded deodorants. Right after that, she presented Curie as the optimum solution, which offered aluminum-free deodorants. It also offered other skincare products, including whipped body wash, full-body deodorants, and pit detox masks.
Handling samples to the investors, Sarah highlighted the sales made in 2019 and 2021. She also revealed the costs of the deodorant sticks and sprays. Seeing her preparedness, Daymond complimented Sarah. She then discussed her background as a CPA.
After being rejected by all the Sharks except Daymond, Sarah secured an investment through a joint deal with Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran at $300K for 10% equity and 4% advisory shares.
2. Range Beauty
Range Beauty finds a place in the category of best pitches from season 13 owing to its entrepreneurs’ clarity of business vision. Alicia Scott and Myisha Fantroy presented the pitch at a $150K investment for a 6% equity stake.
The entrepreneurs, displaying their confident and energetic side, revealed that they started the venture in 2017. Their motivation was to create cosmetic products that matched different skin tones.
Additionally, realizing that acne problems caused by cosmetic usage are common in black women, their products were free from chemicals. Kevin O’Leary was impressed with the differentiation and praised them for it. The exuberant pitch grabbed a ‘great job’ compliment from Mark Cuban as well.
The entrepreneur duo also revealed that they had been featured on Beyonce’s website and had a presence on Target. They answered all questions related to sales and cost margins accurately. But citing their lack of expertise, Kevin and Mark didn’t invest. Barbara Corcoran also chose to step out of the deal.
Towards the end, Alicia and Myisha grabbed a joint deal from Lori Greiner and Guest Shark Emma Grede for $150K at 20% equity.
3. Wendy’s Gnome Shop
Wendy’s Gnome Shop is one of the best pitches from Shark Tank Season 13 because of her engaging presentation and smart negotiation skills. Momtrepreneur Wendy Hoffmeister approached the Sharks seeking $200K for 20% equity in her gnome-making company.
Wearing a gnome, Wendy presented her wide variety, which has long beards and is made of foam, fabric, wood, and cardboard. Describing them to be perfect for the holiday season, she gave out the samples to the judges.
But the Sharks were amazed when Wendy revealed how she turned her hobby into a whopping $700K business in just a year and half. Further, she had started with just about $1000. She got offers from Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John for $200K for 30% and $200K for 35%, respectively.
Showcasing her negotiation skills, Wendy asked Daymond if he could match Barbara’s deal; he agreed. This led to an argument between the two investors. Ultimately, she chose Daymond’s deal at $200K for 30% equity.
Shark Tank Season 13: Worst Pitches
Although season 13 featured a wide range of pitches that earned the praise of the judges and audiences, some attracted criticism. From Uprising Food to Busy Box, have a look at the worst pitches of the season, which did not receive any offers from the Sharks:
1. Uprising Food
Uprising Food was one of the worst pitches on Shark Tank Season 13 for two reasons. Firstly, the valuation sought was outrageously high. Secondly, the entrepreneurs went overboard in showcasing their business understanding. Here is what happened in the episode:
The entrepreneur duo of Kristen and William Schumacher went to the panelists seeking a massive $500K for 3% equity. Their company prepared breads that were free from carbs and gluten. Shaped in the form of a cube, it required users to slice it themselves. Plus, it could be stored for six months in a fridge.
Although the million-dollar sales and the bread’s quality seemed impressive, the Sharks were apprehensive about pouring their money due to the high valuation. Additionally, the profits were not stable.
All of them stepped out of the deal one after the other. Only Mark Cuban wanted to know about the low profits. But he, too, took a step back when the entrepreneurs started their answers with heavy jargon, like using a lot of CAC or customer acquisition costs.
2. Candi
Candi was one of the worst pitches on season 13 because of its high valuation, which could not be justified by the entrepreneur couple pitching it. Keithan and Quiante Hendrick went to the investors seeking $500K for 15% equity.
The venture was all about connecting common people with their favorite celebrities through Candi, a social media channel. Starting in 2020, they have earned around $100K, a figure much lower than the asked investment amount.
Guest Shark Kevin Hart stated that the business was still in its early phase, so the valuation sought needed to be more convincing for him. He stepped out of the deal for this reason. Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, and Kevin O’Leary cited the same reason and opted out of the investment.
Describing their high valuation as a ‘Shark Tank fundamental error,’ Mark Cuban, too, chose not to make an offer. Ultimately, the entrepreneurs left without a deal.
3. Busy Box
Busy Box’s name appears on the list of worst pitches for two reasons. First, the entrepreneurs could not justify the high pricing of their products. Second, their pitch went on different tangents and was not focused on one element. The investment sought was $200K for 15% equity.
Steve Skillin and Conor Smith went to the investors pitching Busy Box, ‘do not disturb’ signs that came in digital boxes. Available in two different versions, the first one had six slide-in signs such as ‘recording’ or ‘busy.’ The other one was connected to an app and could be used to type custom messages.
The costs for both versions were $299 and $199 respectively. Such huge rates for a ‘do not disturb’ sign were unfathomable for the investors.
Mark Cuban felt the pitch needed more clarity; the two versions discussed were completely different and confusing. So, he chose to step out of the deal. Lori Greiner felt the price was too high, so people might not choose to buy it.
Citing the same reasons, all the investors opted out of the investment one after the other.
Conclusion
Shark Tank Season 13 was an ideal showcase of engaging and disappointing pitches. Pitches like Curie, Range Beauty, and Wendy’s Gnome Shop demonstrated entrepreneurial brilliance. However, Uprising Food, Candi, and Busy Box failed to grab an offer owing to outrageous valuations and a lack of clarity.
Overall, viewers were immersed in a string of binge-worthy episodes with both the best and worst pitches.
References
1. Here’s What Went Down With Curie After Shark Tank, women.com, Emily Hutchinson
2. This Black-Owned Beauty Brand Featured On Shark Tank Caught Beyoncé’s Eye, The List, Lauren Richards
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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