Startup brings live insects on ‘Shark Tank’ to prove a point — and walks away with deal no one expected
Over the years, many budding entrepreneurs have used several tips and tricks to catch the attention of the Sharks. During an episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 14, Aaron Gonzales and Tony Gonzales pitched their pest control business, 'Slick Barrier', in front of the esteemed Sharks Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Mark Cuban, Daymond John, and Robert Herjavec. Then, the Gonzaleses made a bold move to showcase the efficacy of their innovative clear coating that helps in keeping the pests out of houses without any use of pesticides, and they ended up bringing some cockroaches and scorpions on the ABC business show, leaving the Sharks in shock.
Soon after, Aaron and Tony even made O'Leary test out their product. In the episode, the Gonzales brothers were asking for $500,000 in exchange for 10% of their company. During their pitch, Aaron explained that the duo came up with the idea of Slick Barrier when he had moved into his dream home and found it swarming with scorpions. Then, Aaron realized that these dangerous bugs couldn't climb the smooth surfaces, and he teamed up with his brother Tony to create a clear coat that smoothened surfaces and entry points for bugs into houses.
With the help of Slick Barrier, people can protect their homes and stop pests from entering their homes without the use of pesticides. To demonstrate their product, the duo pulled out a container that was packed with cockroaches and two bricks that were coated with Slick Barrier. Then, they asked O'Leary to stand on the bricks and see if the pests made their way to him. "Even though he has a special relationship with him, they're not getting up," Tony said, as per Market Realist.
O'Leary stated that he was pretty impressed by how the bugs were unable to climb the bricks. To paint a complete picture of their product's effectiveness, Aaron and Tony also shared that Texas A&M and Mexico State University carried out independent trials of their product, and both studies proved that the product was 100% productive. When the duo was asked about the numbers of their company, they disclosed that they made $180,000 in sales in 2020, while generating around $650,000 in revenue during 2021. Then, they told the Sharks that they earned roughly $50,000 per month in 2022. In addition to this, they also revealed that they offer an installation service in a few states for $1,400.
The numbers were good enough, but none of the Sharks were keen to invest in Slick Barrier except Greiner. The 'Queen of QVC' offered the Gonzales brothers $500,000 for 15% equity, but with one condition. Greiner told the duo, "I'm going to give it to you a hundred thousand up front, and the rest is a loan." Following a quick discussion, the duo accepted the deal. As per a report by House Digest, Slick Barrier saw a major breakthrough after the episode dropped. Within the first week after the airing, the pest company did a staggering $100,000 in sales, and it's still thriving in the market.
