'Shark Tank' contestants brought a furry friend to the set and walked away with a $100K deal
Over the years, 'Shark Tank' contestants have pulled many tricks to impress the judging panel and bag a deal. And that's exactly what happened in Season 11 of the show when founders AJ Crook and Brett Maiolfi brought a dog to pitch their company 'Shake It Pup,' which manufactures seasoning for dog food. Sharks Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Maria Sharapova, and Daymond John were pleasantly surprised from the get-go. Crook and Maiolfi argued that they brought their furry friend to showcase how effective their product was. In the episode, the founders sought $100,000 in exchange for 20% of their company, and they were successful in bagging a deal.
During their pitch, the dog, Cooper, stood behind a food counter while rocking a chef's hat, looking absolutely adorable. After Crook and Maiolfi wrapped their pitch, Cooper moved over to the Sharks. The duo explained that their dog food seasoning was available in a couple of flavors, and they sold one bottle for $12.99.
When asked about the numbers, Crook and Maiolfi stated that they had made $105,000 in sales at the time. O'Leary was the first Shark to make an offer, saying, "I'm willing to make an offer here. It's better than nothing, you want to hear it or not. I am going to make an offer here. I'm going to give you the $100,000, but commenstruate with how early stage you are, I want 50%." Soon after, John chimed in, "I can help you with a decision. You know I think it's genius idea but I think this is a speed to market thing that you have to do and I think that honestly a lot of big boys and girls world, they're going to start putting a lot of these offerings and it's going to be challenge to fight that, so I'm out."
Next, guest shark Sharapova told the aspiring entrepreneurs, "I love your brand. I love your marketing. I love the category that you're in. There's a lot of opportunity, but I also feel it's very crowded, and this is very niche. This is like a second step process, so to feel like I have to get another something to put on the food that I already put on the plate just seems like a lot, and for that reason. I'm out."
Greiner, however, made an offer of $100,000 with a $1 per unit royalty. As per CNBC Make It, Cuban then shared, “Last year, I did a deal with a company called Wild Earth that does organic dog food. Wild Earth has been a great success because dog owners really care about their pets' health and will spend anything to do it the right way. I think this would be a great combination." Eventually, Cuban offered Crook and Maiolfi $100,000 for a 25% stake in their company, and they accepted.
