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‘Shark Tank’: SwipenSnap nabs $120,000 deal, but why did Kevin O'Leary throw Daniel Lubetzky under the bus?

The entrepreneur from Houston, Texas, worked her magic to make taking care of newborns a little easier with her patented design

Fascinating deals on ‘Shark Tank’ manage to steal all your attention and Season 12 Episode 11 was no different. Adding a special touch, SwipenSnap founder Alina Kravchenko came dressed in a beautiful white dress with a magic wand in hand. The entrepreneur from Houston, Texas, worked her magic to make taking care of newborns a little easier with her patented design.

So what exactly is SwipenSwap? Dubbing it more than just a diaper cream applicator, the website boasts, “SwipenSnap is literally over ten minutes saved a day, an anxiety reliever (from the stress of your baby potentially rolling off the changing table), and a mess preventer. For those of you who have dealt with the water-resistant diaper cream getting stuck under your nails and ruining your favorite outfits.”

In 2009, Alina got pregnant when she was just 23. “I worked three odd jobs while I was pregnant, it was one of the most physically and emotionally hardest times of my life,” she revealed. Despite a degree from Pratt Institute, she land a stable job. Even after she designed the product, Alina had to wait for a long time to establish herself.

Narrating her journey she added, “It was over five years later that I was Awarded a US Utility Patent for the One Hand Diaper Cream Applicator I named SwipenSnap.” Biting her lip, Alina did confess on the show that she was seeking a $120,000 investment for a 10% equity but had got only sales worth $50,000 in two years. Her excuse: She had been waiting on the patent and hadn't really marketed the product yet. 

Costing a dollar and 85 cents to make, SwipenSnap did catch Sharks' attention but they had doubts about it. 

Although others gave a thumbs down, Lori Greiner and Daniel Lubetzky first decide to team up to help get her a licensing deal. However, Lubetzky wanted a 100% stake. Jumping the gun, Kevin O'Leary aka Mr Wonderful stepped in and said he would partner with Lori and would like to be 50-50% partners with Alina.

At first, she begged Mr Wonderful to reduce the equity slightly but Kevin told her, “Why do you care? You shouldn't care.” What's more, Kevin even blatantly said that he had thrown Daniel under the bus. 

After the episode aired, Kevin O'Leary teased Lubetzky saying, "Sorry @DanielLubetzky - Lori gets it, there’s only one #MrWonderful!!! #SharkTank."

When one fan asked, "Why did you need 2 Sharks? Lori was enough to get you all the licensing..." another Internet user replied, "Two is ALWAYS better than one." A third sympathized with Lubetzky but said, "Sorry, Homes (@DanielLubetzky). You're wrong to ask for 100%. #SharkTank@kevinolearytv & @LoriGreiner sealed the deal. #SharkTank@SwipenSnap is about to get PAID. Maybe not @ScrubDaddy or @squattypotty but maybe close." A third added, "Mr Wonderful was not taking 100% of her future sales. Good and fair deal."

‘Shark Tank’ Season 12 Episode 9 returned to ABC after the winter break on January 8, 2021, at 8 pm ET. Catch the latest episode featuring Daniel Lubetzky on January 22, 2021, at 8 pm ET/ 7 pm CT on ABC.