The tension is palpable. The lights are bright. The Sharks are ready. But even the best-laid plans can crumble under the scrutiny of these titans of industry. Brace yourself for the most awkward and unforgettable Shark Tank embarrassing pitches in history.

Pitches: The Unforgettable Fails Version

Not all pitches are created equal. Some dazzle, some inspire, and some… well, they become legendary for all the wrong reasons. From Shark Tank embarrassing pitches that suffered technological mishaps to questionable product concepts, these entrepreneurs learned the hard way that the Sharks don’t suffer fools gladly. Get ready to witness the most cringe-inducing Shark Tank pitch disasters in history.

1. Haven Lock

Alex Bertelli & Clay Banks made their way into the show for their door security wedge, Haven Lock.

Seeking: $500K for a 6% stake

According to Alex Bertelli & Clay Banks, a break-in occurs every eighteen seconds in the United States. Traditional deadbolts are not secure enough to keep the door intact. They further claimed that an intruder can get in with about five kicks.

Everything made sense until they provided a visual demonstration. Alex starts kicking a deadbolt-locked door to prove how easily they can be broken down. One kick, two kicks, and many more follow, but the door doesn’t open. The giggles of the sharks slowly turn into loud laughter, filling the room with amusement. Read the complete pitch breakdown here.

The sharks did not like the deal, saying the margins were awful. And so, despite a hilarious pitch, the business left without a deal. This moment became one of the most Shark Tank embarrassing pitches of all time.

2. Amber

Kyle Byrd & Bill Shuey marched with their public phone charging station, Amber.

Seeking- $200k for a 20% stake.

A mobile phone charging station that is completely free to use, securing your device in one of the seven compartments using biometric scanning. With fingerprint scanning, they say they made it very simple to use. Their aim is to put the product in as many places as possible—bars, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, arenas, and so on.

The Sharks had too many doubts about the product to make a deal. They found Amber’s technology unreliable, as the fingerprint scanner had the potential to fail. The manufacturing cost was too high to keep the business sustainable. Additionally, the Sharks noted that many free charging stations already exist, making Amber’s presence unnecessary.

As a result, no deal was reached.

3. Minus Cal

The founders, Barrett Jacques and Crom Carmichael, believe that their product is the perfect solution to the growing problem of obesity in America.

Seeking- $500k for 20% of the business

Their product is a science-based snack bar and diet tablet. As they claim, it blocks the fat that you eat. Minus Cal comes in a variety of food options and is safe for everybody.

The pitch begins with a display of the digestive system as a party and the product, Minus Cal, as the bouncer. When fat shows up at the party, the bouncer kicks it out. This prevents calories from being absorbed into your body.

The sharks were not convinced by the pitch as they kept getting confused about whether it actually helps with weight loss. They did not like the taste either. Kevin said that $500K for a startup with no revenue was too high. The business had a strategic error.

The discussion took a tense turn when Mark and Robert got into a bit of an argument. Robert told Mark that he could get a little arrogant at times and that he does not let people speak.

Mark Cuban ended the conversation by saying, “To all the people watching, don’t buy it. I am out.” The founders left empty-handed.

4. Tycoon Real Estate

A crowd investing platform for everyday people by entrepreneur Aaron McDaniel.

Seeking– $50k in exchange for 5% stake

As soon as Aaron starts his pitch with, “Tycoon Real Estate is a crowd-investing platform that allows everyday people to invest in real estate for as little as a thousand dollars,” he gets interrupted by one of the sharks. Mark says, “I hate it. I’m out.”

Then Aaron continues, explaining that all the deals are professionally vetted, working only with top developers. He mentions that if the funding goal for a project is not met, everyone gets their money back. This means investors can earn eight to ten times the return compared to keeping their money in a savings account.

Barbara explains that when you invest in real estate, you make sure that the lead investor is smart enough to grow money in the safest way—you wanna know all about their skills. However, this method of Tycoon is too mysterious; there is no way of finding that out. She calls it “too spooky” and says that it is unfair to investors.

Kevin offers $50K for a 50% stake, but Aaron quickly rejects it, stating he won’t go beyond 10%.

5. Pavlok

Maneesh Sethi’s unique way to break bad habits.

Seeking: $500k for 3.14% equity.

The product is based on aversion therapy; it is a wristband that delivers a small shock whenever you engage in a “bad habit.”

The founder once hired someone to slap him whenever he procrastinated. The real question is: should you try that yourself? But an even bigger question is: should you broadcast it on national television?

Maneesh presents studies on aversion therapy and related topics, but the catch is that none of them are conducted on his product. Lori advises him to get clinical studies for such products and even calls it a “zero.” Barbara did not like the pitch, finding it too complicated to invest her energy in. Finally, Mark says the product is anything but legitimate.

To everyone’s surprise, Kevin offers $500K as a loan at 7.5% interest for 24 months plus 3.14% equity. Adding to the shock, Maneesh Sethi rejects the offer, stating he won’t take it from Kevin.

6. Copy Keyboard

Scotty Trujillo comes in with great energy for his business, Copy Keyboard, a specialized copy-and-paste keyboard for devices.

Seeking- $40k for a 25% stake.

Scotty explains how the product is a great way to save time and reduce fatigue. Ordinarily, one has to manually handle their entries in the copy-pasting process. He says it is very exhausting and leaves your fingers in a strained shape. He claims his product is great for accountants, the financial industry, and anyone with a tedious copy-paste job.

The founder shares his lifelong dream of becoming an entrepreneur, a vision he has held since childhood.

Unfortunately, none of the sharks showed any interest in his product. They did like him, but that wasn’t enough. Robert even went on to say, “The product is crap!”

The business received no deal.

7. Track Days

James Lavitola and Brian Pitt stepped into the Shark Tank with their feature film “Track Days.”

Seeking– $5 million for a 34% stake.

Track Days was intended to be a full-length action film filled with the thrill, danger, and passion of professional racing. Brian was only a few words into his pitch when Mark cut in with his classic, “I’m out.”

Sharks were not impressed with the idea of their film. They voiced their concerns about the lack of preparedness of the entrepreneur. The script was not finished, actors were not committed, and the plan looked too uncertain to invest in. The other factor that put the Sharks off was their huge investment demand.

Kevin said movies are not a safe investment and called the project a “horrifically bad idea.” As a result, James Lavitola and Brian Pitt left Shark Tank with no deal.

8. His and Her Bar

Jennifer and Michael Gallagher’s company, His and Her Bar, is an aphrodisiac snack bar designed to enhance intimacy.

Seeking– $50k for a 10% stake.

His and Her Bar is a healthy snack designed to enhance intimacy between couples, made with ingredients like maca root, almonds, and cacao.

However, they had only made $2,000 in sales, making their high valuation unjustifiable. The product was nothing special compared to others on the market, and the Sharks didn’t even like the taste, finding it too spicy. Lori questioned, “What’s stopping me from just eating almonds and dark chocolate?”

With no clear market demand, the entrepreneurs left without a deal.

9. Wake’N Bacon

An alarm clock that wakes you up with the delicious smell of cooked bacon.

Seeking: $40k for a 20% stake.

It takes ten minutes to reheat. Put the bacon in the “alarm clock” at night, set the alarm, and wake up to the smell of delicious bacon. The easiest way to enjoy breakfast in bed! Matty Sallin asked for funding to redesign the product for mass production.

However, the idea did not entice the Sharks. They saw it as a potential fire hazard, especially since it would be running while people were asleep. Besides safety concerns, it was also deemed unhygienic, as leaving meat unrefrigerated for hours posed a risk. The entrepreneur lacked a clear plan to sell the product, leading the Sharks to dismiss the business immediately.

No deal at last!

These “Shark Tank embarrassing pitches” serve as a stark reminder that even with the best intentions, a flawed product, unrealistic valuations, or simply a poorly executed presentation can lead to a spectacular failure in the Tank.

Hiedi Pratap