Dumped for having cats, these ‘Shark Tank’ contestants built a dating app for animal lovers — and won huge
Kevin O’Leary leaves no stone unturned before investing in a business, but one brand had him all in with a simple pitch. On Season 13 of ‘Shark Tank', entrepreneur Leigh Isaacson brought her love for cats and people who share the same interest, under one roof... or rather, into one dating app: Tabby. She entered the tank alongside her two brand managers, Nathan "The Cat Lady" Kehn and Sterling "The Trap King" Davis, seeking $300,000 in exchange for 20% of the business, according to Market Realist.
Sharing some unfortunate backstory, Isaacson revealed that both Kehn and Davis had been dumped by women simply for being cat lovers. “You may not believe it, but these handsome men have been ripped to shreds on general dating apps all because of something they love,” she explained. As both men lifted the cats they brought onto the show, they also recalled the kinds of comments they'd received. “My friend says you have four cats, that’s four red flags,” Kehn shared, while Davis added, “Oh, do you sleep with that thing?” The two were even asked if they’d be willing to give up their cats for a relationship.
View this post on Instagram
Isaacson then mentioned how Tabby is a familiar dating app but a safe space for cat lovers. “You swipe left or right on people. But it also has a specific area asking you about your cats,” the entrepreneur chimed in. Not only that, but the app even had a community space where users could discuss cat-friendly cafes. Isaacson ended her by asking the Sharks to join her in her idea and “spend the rest of their nine lives with” the app. When Robert Herjavec eagerly asked Isaacson how she came up with the idea for the app, she explained that she initially developed Dig, a similar dating app, but for dog lovers. To everyone’s surprise, she also revealed that Dig was in talks for acquisition by a dog food company.
View this post on Instagram
Tabby was launched in August 2020 on International Cat Day, according to Shark Tank Blog. Issacson detailed that she had won a million-dollar dating project, “a grant from a dating platform company, and they gave us $50,000 in equity-free grant money.” Talking business, the app had 31,000 users and $43,000 in revenue. However, days before their ‘Shark Tank’ appearance, the dating platform terminated their contract. Fortunately, Tabby’s founders came up with another app, rebuilt from scratch. Mark Cuban became the first one to drop out, expressing that it was too tough to grow an app. Herjavec loved the idea but chose not to invest in it. Joining the two judges was the guest shark of that night, Nirav, leaving Isaacson with only Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner.
View this post on Instagram
O’Leary happily offered, $300,000 but for 30%, as he had previous experience with another cat-focused business, Basepaws. “I have become a cat-lover because it has a lot of cash flow,” he said, sharing an offer that Greiner was impressed with. However, Isaacson countered, asking for 25% equity. As O’Leary stood firm on his grounds, the contestant shook hands with him. When the team walked out of the room, Herjavec mentioned Mr. Wonderful could promote Tabby with a picture of himself holding a hairless cat. To which O’Leary stated that he was building a cat empire, adding, “I’m the king of the litter."
