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‘Shark Tank’ teen entrepreneur said he'd ditch college for startup — got a reality check instead of a deal

Ethan Kamat was ready to trade college for business, but the Sharks gave him something way more valuable than money

Age is just a number, and ‘Shark Tank’ proves it. As a platform for entrepreneurs of all ages, the business reality show is known to welcome young ones with great pitches. However, it is rare to see these teen entrepreneurs walk away with an impressive deal from the esteemed Sharks. One such young innovator was Ethan Kamat, a high schooler who appeared on season nine alongside his father, Vinay Kamat.

According to Market Realist, although the Sharks were impressed by the pitch presented by the father-son duo, none of them were ready to invest, as their reason was pretty simple. Coming from a medical family, Ethan introduced his company, Solemender, and its product designed to treat Plantar Fasciitis. The product was designed to relieve any discomfort one may feel on the soles of their feet. In the business, Ethan was backed by his parents, who served as excellent guides and mentors. 

Talking about the product, the contestant explained that it is a portable roller that is used for pain relief by rolling it under the feet. “So, what Plantar Fasciitis is is where you get microtears in the tendons that run along the bottom of your foot, and unfortunately, two million people per year get this condition, and my mom was one of those two million,” the young entrepreneur explained most professionally. He then added, “Doctors recommend freezing a water bottle and rolling your foot on it, but if you’ve ever frozen a water bottle, you know it has the tendency to explode every once in a while. So I figured, there’s got to be a better way to help people alleviate their foot pain but also be simple and easy to use.”

Addressing the Sharks, Ethan's father, Vinay, said that he had been an internal medicine physician for more than two decades. During his tenure as a physician, he had recommended using the product to patients who were suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. Talking numbers, Vinay explained that the company had achieved $25,000 om sales in a year at the time of the taping of the episode. As per the outlet, everything was going in the right direction until the judges asked Ethan about his future.

Ethan informed the Sharks that he was entering his senior year of high school, but had plans to drop the idea of going to college if he got a deal on the show that day. What was supposed to sound like a commitment to the product and Sharks quickly became a red flag. The investors thought it was not a good plan, and Mark Cuban and Alex Rodriguez immediately pulled out and urged him to pursue his higher education. On the other hand, Kevin O’Leary saw no plans for customer acquisition and opted out. Later, Lori Greiner shared that she felt the product was outside her niche, while Barbara Corcoran stated that the product did not have any “sex appeal,” backing out as well. In the end, the young entrepreneur went home without a deal.