Fort on 'Shark Tank': What is the cost, who is the founder and is the magnetic pillow fort worth it?
Whether you're a toddler or an old person, the appeal of building pillow forts and lounging inside them never fades away. Though as one gets older, cleaning up the mess left behind from building pillow forts and trying to piece back your couch together might get a tad bit annoying. Oh and not to mention all those spills and the other collateral damage that the pillow cushions have to endure during the process, might make this fun activity a little annoying.
But thanks to Conor Lewis's unique innovation-Fort, a magnetic pillow fort, you can continue to enjoy your favorite past-time and nurture your inner child without worrying about the mess. Lewis will be pitching for Fort on the upcoming episode of 'Shark Tank' before the Sharks- Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, and guest Shark Emma Grede. While we will have to wait and watch to see if any of the Sharks take the bait for the magnetic pillow fort, in the meanwhile if you'd like to know more about Fort and its founder, then keep reading.
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What is Fort?
Fort is a magnetic pillow fort that can be assembled pretty easily even by a toddler. This magnetic pillow fort kit comprises of 12 foam pieces: 2 squares, 4 rectangles, 2 triangles, 2 half moons and 2 arches! These pillows are so light that the kids can assemble it themselves and play with them to their heart's content without any parental supervision. The Fort uses strong neodymium magnets to hold everything together. The brand's website claims, "They are strong, but not too strong. The magnets are custom made to keep the builds up so kids can crawl inside, but not too strong so that they can't be easily manipulated."
The best part about Fort has to be the fact that it's waterproof and easy to clean. Keeping the cleaning challenges that the adults face with keeping their child's toys safe and sanitary, the Fort's foam is covered with soft yet sturdy polyurethane leather, that is waterproof. All the stains and dirt can be wiped right off with just water and some mild soap. The fun doesn't stop here, aside from a pillow fort you can use your imagination and creativity to turn the Fort kit into a couch it a relaxing reading nook, the possibilities are limitless!
Who is the founder?
Fort was founded in St. Louis, Missouri by Conor B. Lewis. He had a very simple vision: build a better pillow fort. On the brand's website he shared his journey of how he went from working on revitalizing downtown Alton, Illinois to launching Fort, during the pandemic. "Watching my wife and 2 year old making pillow forts with blankets that kept falling in, it struck me that there could be a better way. I wrote "magnetic pillow fort" in a random idea document on my phone and filed it away. April 2020 I lost my job due to COVID, I was just about to have my second child and didn't have any idea what to do. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but never really felt like I could pull it off - until I saw "magnetic pillow fort" on that random document. It struck me just right and I had nothing to lose. It didn't take long for me to build a brand and work with a designer. After only a month I was talking to factories and FORT was born!"
Lewis has a BFA degree in Graphic Design from Western Kentucky University and has worked for various Fortune 500 companies. He even produced, directed, and wrote 'Dirty Laundry', a documentary about cancer-causing asbestos.
What is the cost of Fort and where can you buy it?
Fort retails for $499 and is available in various colors. You can get your very own Fort from the brand's website here. The magnetic pillow fort has managed to earn several glowing reviews from its customers which are peppered across the website. A customer shared, "We finally received our fort about 2 weeks ago. We ordered Thistle and are located in the DC area. I’m pleased everything worked out. Genuinely. I was very, very skeptical and disappointed for awhile. Overall, I’m pleased with the product. It is a bit smaller than I had expected, but my child (3) and niece (9) seem to enjoy it well enough so that’s a non-issue for me. The magnets seem strong enough, but I do wish there were a few more - particularly on the curved pieces. We’ve already tested its ability to be wiped down thanks to some chalk covered hands and I was glad that it cleaned easily and didn’t become sticky. In hindsight I wish I had ordered the cover to help keep the pieces together when not in use, although they do stack together fine. It’s just the curved pieces don’t have side magnets and are prone to being moved. Overall the product is decent and appreciated by my littles. I look forward to when the accessories ship (light and blanket) and hope that they further accentuate the fun being had."
Where is Fort now?
Lewis launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2020 with the goal of raising $25,000. But his campaign became an internet sensation and managed to raise a cool $3,107,079 from its 9,859 backers. The brand also launched a non-magnetic version of the pillow fort for parents concerned with safety issues.
Who will steal the deal?
We aren't sure if the magnetic pillow fort pitch will appeal to any of the Sharks. Although the brand's sales numbers and profit margins will ultimately be the major deciding factor for the sharks on whether to invest in the business or not. So, we will just have to wait and watch to see how things pan out for Lewis.
'Shark Tank' Season 13 Episode 18 airs on ABC on April 1, 2022, at 8 pm ET. Catch the latest episode featuring products like Apolla, No Limbits, Umaro and FORT.
Missed an episode? Been wanting to catch up? Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu. Not just that, you can also watch old seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.