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'Shark Tank' viewers call out Poplight for steep prices of LED wall lighting as founders sign deal with Kevin O'Leary

Poplight founders faced backlash due to expensive prices of their product

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During the January 19 Episode of 'Shark Tank', Rose Fierman and Caroline Matthes proposed the renter-friendly lightning Poplight to the Sharks and they managed to strike up a deal with Kevin O'Leary. 

In the episode, the duo introduced the sharks to their LED wall lighting called Poplight which can be installed and removed without any tools. This way, you save your money as well as time. Apart from the poplight, 3 more products including The Table Tyke, The Duo, and Like Air were pitched in the same episode. 

The cost of a poplight is $95. However, it seems like the price of the wall lighting didn't sit well with the viewers of the show. Many of them thought the wall lighting was overprized. 

An X user shared, "#sharktank pop light is great but $95 is way too much. You need 2 minimum."

Another fan added, "Pop light is cool, but that retail price is too much."

One user further wrote, "It's a lamp."

The 'Shark Tank' fans continued to discuss the prices of the damage-free wall lighting on Reddit as well.

A Reddit user said, "battery powered stick on lights are definitely not new, there have been infomercials for them for years now $90 for just one and constantly having to charge it, or leave it plugged in all the time, for a relatively low level of lumens....you're way better off just getting a lamp."

Another user commented, "This exists and I have several of them in my den. And they didn’t cost nearly as much.

Poplight founders drew inspiration from their 19-century home

Poplight brings a contemporary feel to any environment, regardless of its age.

When Rose Fierman and Caroline Matthes relocated to their Denver home in the historic Sante Fe Arts District, they faced challenges in dealing with the house's old structure.

While having a chat with 5280 Home, Matthes recalled, "Our house was built in 1879. The wiring was insulated with horse hair!"

Fierman chimed in, "We wanted to install wall lights in our bedroom and given the age of the house and the cost of wiring the lights, we realized that installing traditional wall sconces was not going to work for us."

Poplight was created because the couple saw a need for it and were surprised that no one else had thought of it. It also saves money compared to traditional wall lights.

The founders estimate that installing traditional wall lights can cost over $1,000, while Poplights only cost $95 and can be reused with new adhesive tape. 

Poplight quickly achieved its $9,100 funding goal on Kickstarter

Rose Fierman and Caroline Matthes, who have backgrounds in tech and therapy respectively, never expected to start a lighting company. However, the process of launching Poplight has been challenging for them. 

During the same interview, Matthes told the outlet, "Neither Rose nor I come from a design or manufacturing background, so there's been a learning curve at each step in this process."

In March 2023, the couple started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $9,100.

Within 22 minutes, they had achieved their goal, receiving over $162,000 from 1,481 supporters. The product had gained popularity on TikTok, which greatly contributed to their success.

The two of them expressed their excitement and enjoyment of interacting with the TikTok community.

The co-founders of Poplight have remained committed to their Kickstarter supporters, even allowing them to vote on a new shade of pink to be added to the product lineup.

Currently, Poplight is available in Matte Black, Sage Green, Vermillion Red, Popwhite, Marigold, and Dusty Rose, which was chosen by the voters. 

Poplight installs within a fraction of seconds

Poplight is a convenient LED wall lighting option for renters that can be easily installed and removed without the need for tools or an electrician.

You can easily install this LED light in your home within seconds without causing any damage to your wall.

Poplight is a secure lighting option that can be added without risking the security deposit. It has a removable USB-C rechargeable battery pack, eliminating the need for an outlet.

When fully charged, Poplight can provide light for over 9 hours and can also be easily moved to a different location.

'Shark Tank' Season 15 airs on Fridays on ABC at 8 pm ET.

For those who miss the episode, it will be available on demand the following day and on Hulu. Additionally, viewers can explore past seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.