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Old couple’s flashlight pitch lights up ‘Shark Tank’ — then their tragic backstory seals the deal

‘Shark Tank’ is surely a stage that recognises talent, be it from a youngster or an old age couple like the Pritchetts.

‘Shark Tank’ has featured many contestants with impressive and often unexpected product ideas. But one time, an elderly couple came on the show with a simple flashlight and won every Shark’s heart. In Season 16, husband-and-wife duo Nancy and Ronnie Pritchett appeared on the show with their company, TripleLite. Though similar products existed, theirs outshined mass-produced flashlights in functionality and design. Their company produced flashlights that covered a 180-degree field in front of the user, as per Market Realist. It allowed users to walk in the dark without turning around to see what was beside them.

Coming to the stakes, Nancy and Ronnie Pritchett asked the judges to invest $400,000 in their company for a 10% equity of their company. Well, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of all inventions, the product birthed from an incident. It was when Ronnie was walking down the stairs while it was dark around him. He nearly tripped while checking beside him, inspiring a flashlight that illuminated a wide area.

The Sharks were even more impressed and completely stunned by the couple’s strong sales figures. The couple shared that their lifetime sales had reached $5 million. Meanwhile, at the time of taping, the sales from a year prior were at $1.7 million. As per the Pritchetts, the company started in 2012 and got the patents in 2014. They revealed that a former investor had sued them and taken control of the company. The elderly couple fought a years-long legal battle before finally reclaiming their product.

The story moved most of the Sharks, except Kevin O’Leary, who made a ruthless offer, asking the couple for 49% of the company for $400,000. Other Sharks pushed back, and guest Shark Daniel Lubetzky asked, “Haven’t they suffered enough?” Lubetzky later sweetened the deal, offering $400,000 for just 20%. Joining him were Lori Greiner and Mark Cuban, who paired up to offer the same amount for the same share. Given Lubetzky’s brand and Greiner’s retail expertise, they were ideal partners for the product.

However, Lubetzky then offered to go for the deal for only a 20% stake. That’s when Robert Herjavec offered to join the deal as a partner. In the end, the Pritchetts chose Cuban and Greiner, citing their proven track record. Though they gave up a large stake, the Pritchetts stood to benefit from the deal, given the Sharks’ history.