Best Pitches From Shark Tank Season 8
Highlights
- Shark Tank Season 8 showcased simple and complex business ideas from various entrepreneurs.
- Getting a deal on the show, Sleep Styler emerged as one of the most successful businesses.
- Besides, after the show, Safe Grabs and Bridal Buddy grew into million-dollar empires.
Shark Tank has been setting new milestones for itself every year. Every new season promises to be bigger and better than the previous ones. With guest Shark Chris Sacca joining in and pitches from diverse areas coming on stage, the trend continued for Shark Tank Season 8.
The season saw various ideas pitched in front of the judges, from multipurpose kitchen accessories to innovative notebooks. Below are some of the best and worst pitches of Shark Tank Season 8 that you should know about.
Best Pitches: Shark Tank Season 8
Shark Tank Season 8 witnessed fresh new pitches from entrepreneurs hailing from diverse verticals. What set the season apart was that the best pitches were the ones with the most simple products. Be it plush rollers or kitchen accessories, it showed that the judges can be won over if the presentation is well crafted and engaging.
1. Sleep Styler
Sleep Styler is among the best pitches for Shark Tank Season 8 due to its quick yet clear presentation style. In one of the fastest deals made on the show, an ophthalmologist turned entrepreneur impressed the judges with her command of business figures and clarity of vision.
Momtrepreneur Tara Brown made her way to the judges in the eighth season with Sleep Styler. She sought $75K for 20% equity and described how the product helped one style their hair overnight. The heat-free plush rollers focused on ending the hassle of washing & styling hair every morning.
The brand owner claimed that her product was the perfect alternative to the heat-based rollers. Made with a landing cost of $9, it was sold for $39. Each of the judges was impressed with both the numbers and the product. But by offering $75K for 25% equity, Lori Greiner convinced Tara to seal the deal.
Considered one of Shark Tank’s most successful products, its lifetime sales are more than $100 million (by 2024).
2. Safe Grabs
Safe Grabs left a lasting impression in one of the most funnily engaging pitches on Shark Tank Season 8. This was primarily due to the entrepreneur’s clever presentation of her line of silicon grabs. She also exhibited her convincing abilities and managed to bring down the proposed equity by one of the panelists.
Cyndi Lee brought Safe Grabs to the judges. It is a multipurpose kitchen item prepared especially for taking utensils out of microwaves. Additionally, it could be used as a placemat, food cover, and jar opener. After giving a live demo of the product, the entrepreneur sought $75K for 12% equity.
While the investors were engrossed throughout the pitch, Lori Greiner was the only one to offer $75K for 30% equity. Hearing this, Cyndi countered with 17% equity. To justify her offer, the entrepreneur listed her previous experiences in freight manufacturing. The deal was eventually locked at $75K for 25% equity.
Post-show, Safe Grabs did well, with annual revenue of $4 million and lifetime sales of $24 million (by 2022).
3. Bridal Buddy
For multiple reasons, Bridal Buddy was one of the best pitches on Shark Tank Season 8. First, even though it was a bride-related product, the idea offered a solution to a genuine problem, thereby intriguing both the male and female Sharks. Second, the presentation was humorously engaging.
Seeking $75K for 10% equity, Heather Stenlake approached the judges with her unique slip accessory for brides. She claimed that the product was ideal for brides-to-be who stressed about using the restroom while wearing heavy gowns. Bridal Buddy could be put underneath wedding gowns to avoid a mess on a wedding day.
Going ahead in the pitch, she revealed to have generated $195K in lifetime sales (as of 2015). The landing and selling costs were $14 and $29.95 respectively. The two judges to make an offer were Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary. They locked the deal at $75K for 30% equity.
By 2024, Bridal Buddy’s annual revenue went over the massive $3 million mark.
Worst Pitches: Shark Tank Season 8
While Shark Tank Season 8 impressed the audiences and panelists with the most simplistic yet useful products ideal for everyday use, some were over-the-top. In an attempt to present ingenious business ideas, here is how entrepreneurs failed to bag a deal due to poor presentation and high valuation:
1. BeSomebody
BeSomebody was one of the worst pitches brought on Shark Tank Season 8 as the entrepreneur went overboard in sharing details. The Sharks criticized him for being a poor listener and having an overconfident approach. They also raised questions regarding the business’ valuation and scalability.
BeSomebody was a motivational app created by Kash Shaikh. It was committed to connecting people with similar interests and passions. Shaikh sought $1 million for 10% equity. He further revealed that the hashtag #besomebody had reached about 5 million people across 180 nations.
Raising many apprehensions regarding exclusivity and liability, the panelists stepped out of the deal one after the other. An annoyed Mark Cuban was the first one to exit the deal. Calling Kash “abrasive,” Barbara Corcoran was out as well. Citing his inability to understand the business, the other judges did not invest.
After Shark Tank, the business was bought by Utivity Holdings in 2017 and shut down in 2018. But, Kash rebranded the company, resulting in over $20 million in revenue earnings.
2. Nootrobox
If we are discussing the worst pitches of Shark Tank Season 8, Nootrobox cannot be left out. The first reason for this was its outrageous $40 million valuation against its then-sales of $1 million. The second reason was its poor presentation, through which the entrepreneurs struggled to articulate their business ideas.
Entrepreneurs Geoffrey Woo and Michael Brandt tried their luck on the show with their nootropic supplements. Seeking $2 million for 5% equity, they listed their many products, including supplements, chewable coffee, and sleep enhancers for stamina, enhanced memory, and energy.
The insanely high valuation floored all the investors. They also said that they could not understand any of the products. Citing these reasons and potential health risks, Chris Sacca stepped out of the deal. The other regular panelists, too, refrained from investing.
Despite zero deals on the show, the entrepreneurs rebranded the business to HVMN. The annual sales are $3 million.
3. Rocketbook
Rocketbook finds its name in the list of worst pitches on Shark Tank Season 8 because it simply could not convince the judges to believe that the business idea could succeed. They felt the pitch was gimmicky and the idea was wacky. The entrepreneurs failed to prove otherwise.
The entrepreneur duo of Joe LeMay and Jake Epstein approached the panelists seeking $400K at 10% equity in their unique notebook business. With Rocketbook, one can upload written material into the cloud with its app. The material can then be erased by putting it in a microwave.
Even though the entrepreneurs claimed to have made over $2 million in sales, all the judges mocked the idea. Barbara Corcoran felt it was too gimmicky, so she stepped out of the deal. Lori Greiner said the process was time-consuming, so the product would not do well in the future. The others backed out as well, leading to no deal.
After Shark Tank, Pen maker brand BIC bought the company in 2020 for a huge amount of $40 million.
Conclusion
Proving to be one of the most dynamic seasons, Shark Tank Season 8 offered audiences ambitious entrepreneurs and ingenious products. Successes like Sleep Styler, Safe Grabs, and Bridal Buddy showed the importance of precise yet engaging pitches.
On the other hand, failures like BeSomebody, Rocketbook, and Nootrobox reiterated that entrepreneurs should avoid ambiguous presentations and outrageous valuations.
References
- After pitching its chewable coffee cubes on ‘Shark Tank,’ here’s what HVMN has been up to, CNBC, Claire Rodgers
- BeSomebody, Wikipedia
- Here’s What Went Down With Bridal Buddy After Shark Tank, women.com, Emily Hutchinson
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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