Top 30 Rejected Shark Tank Pitches That Became Successful

No this isn’t lip balm. And it’s not something to clean your glasses lenses with either. Nerdwax is a special-formulated, chapstick-like product that when applied to your glasses, stops them from slipping off your head. Nerdwax founders Don and Lydia got the company off the ground thanks to a $60k Kickstarter campaign, and they entered the Tank looking to secure $80k for a 20% share. Their proposed deal and product was met with a fair amount of scrutiny, and when it came to The Sharks pitching their own deals, things got a little complicated, and heated - mainly between Daymond and Mark. Don, Lydia, Daymond and Mark go back and forth for quite a while, but ultimately, neither of them cut a deal. But Nerdwax went on to sell well online, and there are even some Nerdwax retail stores in Europe and Asia.

If you’ve ever had to transport a guitar anywhere, this is a product that’ll catch your eye. Jeff Cohen and his son, Josh, came on season one to pitch a unique acoustic guitar with a foldable neck. In the original episode, they were offered $500,000 for 51% of the company, but Jeff was not interested in giving up that much. After walking away, the company received a lot of exposure due to the episode and saw major successes. Jeff returned in season 3 and secured a deal with Kevin O’Leary, only to have it cut from the episode. They have since secured a licensing deal with Fender, one of the largest manufacturers of string instruments in the world.

#21: Eco Nuts

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Upon hearing this name, you might be fooled into believing this is another one of those healthy snack options. Turns out, this product isn’t even edible! Mona Weiss and Scott Shields entered the tank to pitch their eco-friendly soap substitute, which is made from the “soap nuts” of a Himalayan Lychee tree--hence the name! Even before appearing on the show, their little business was quite busy, raking in $100,000 in sales the year prior. Scott estimated that it was a million-dollar market, but the Sharks didn’t buy it, and the two were sent packing. Their time in the tank yielded them a boost in sales, and actually did put them past the million-dollar mark! The company is still around today and has expanded to include other products.

#20: Lip Bar

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Breaking into the beauty industry isn’t an easy thing to do, but these two makeup artists were determined. Pitching their all-natural and extensively colored line of lipsticks, entrepreneurs Melissa Butler and Rosco Spears managed to impress the Sharks with the quality of their product. However, the duo’s weak numbers and confused marketing strategy had the Sharks bowing out. Apparently magazines like Cosmopolitan and Ebony thought otherwise, however, as the two have enjoyed coverage from both, and have launched their own mobile Lip Bar tour to further spread their brand.

Have you ever finished a meal and felt completely full, yet you still reached for an extra snack? Yeah, happens to the best of us. MealEnders gets it though! Their product comes in the form of lozenges intended to discourage overeating. After selling more than a million dollars’ worth of product, founder Mark Bernstein went into the tank looking for additional investors to grow his business. Although they were intrigued at first, in the end, none of the Sharks wanted in. However, as we’ve mentioned, exposure can sometimes be worth just as much as a deal, and his product made over $400,000 in just a few days after the episode aired. The lozenges are still currently for sale on Amazon and on MealEnders’ website.

A workout app - what’s so great about that? Well, Sworkit - which is short for Simply Work It, features several unique features and is closely aligned with the American College of Sports Medicine’s training guidelines - and Ben and Greg hoped this would help them secure $1.5 million for a 8.5% share in the company. Generally, the Sharks are impressed with the free app, and there’s a lot of sniping between them as they try to demean each other and get the best deal. Ultimately, Mark is the only one that ends up getting anywhere deal-wise, and he invests $1.5 million for a 10% share. But, yet again, this was another deal that fell through off camera. Regardless, Sworkit has gone from strength to strength, and partnered with lots of other brands to help boost their sales and reputation.

The market for men’s hygiene and personal care is ever-increasingly on the rise. Unfortunately, for men interested in hand care and foot care, there aren’t a lot of options that don’t involve salons directly targeted to women. Michael Elliot wanted to change that with a line of salons dedicated to men. In the end, Elliott wasn’t able to convince any of the Sharks to go into business with him, but his appearance on the show gave him the $200,000 he was looking for from other investors. Elliott opted to franchise his brand, which allowed the business to expand beyond a few shops here and there. Hair & Nails salons for men are now available all across the United States.

This is a company started by Reebok’s former director of basketball products, Justin Kitterdge - and it sells customizable slide sandals with a trademark waves gel sole. Justin goes in looking for $500k for a 5% share of his funky, comfy sliders, and things are initially looking really good, with Shark Robert seemingly blown away by their comfort. Negotiations fall a little flat though, but interest is reinvigorated when Justin brings Pittsburgh Steelers Antonio Brown into the Tank to back him. Justin and Robert end up going back and forth on a 10 and 20% deal, but they can’t come to an agreement, so Justin leaves empty handed. But since then, Justin has cut deals with a wide variety of sports stars and huge brands like Nickelodeon, the NBA and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Nice.

#15: First Defense Nasal Screens

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We’re bending the rules a little bit here, as this guy did end up leaving the Tank with a great business deal - but it’s the way in which he turned the tables on the Sharks by rejecting a killer offer, that really got our attention. First Defense Nasal Screens sells air filtration devices for each nostril of your nose, capable of filtering out things like allergens and pollen. At first, The Sharks aren’t impressed, but when CEO Joseph K. Moore hits them with impressive sales figures of 1.7 million units, they start to listen up. His initial aim was to get £500,000 for a 10% stake in the company. He didn’t get that, but he did get an offer of $4 million to buy his entire company. But Moore rejected it. Instead, he fought his corner, and ended up agreeing a three-way deal with Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John and Cuban for $750,000 for a 30 percent stake and a 10 percent perpetual royalty. Today, the company is flying, with the nifty nasal filters available worldwide.

Spikeball is based on an old toy whose trademark ran out - and Chris Ruder swooped in to nab it and rebrand it as Spikeball. Tournaments are held everywhere for this volleyball-esque game, and Chris was keen to secure a $500k investment for 10% of the company. Initially the Sharks don’t seem too keen, questioning the product's valuation. But after some negotiating, Chris and Shark Daymond agree on a $500k, 20% deal. Unfortunately, the deal never closed, but since then, Spikeball has become somewhat of an institution. There are professional-level Spikeball-branded Tournaments and World Championships everywhere - and even lobbying for it to become an olympic sport. In the process, the product has made a lot of money and has an estimated net worth of over $45 million.

Get a little coleslaw, a little salsa, throw in some mustard, and you’ve got the unique condiment called Slawsa. While Julie Busha isn’t the creator of the hamburger and hot dog topping, she is the owner of the company, after having purchased it in 2013. She was thus the one to pitch the brand on season five of “Shark Tank”, subsequent to introducing the product to more than 4,000 stores across the U.S. Her tenacity earned her admiration from the Sharks but, unfortunately, not their funds. Since her appearance on the show, Slawsa has expanded to the shelves of more than 7,000 stores.

Making it to #1 on Amazon is every developer’s dream - and these two managed to do it without the Sharks’ help. Pitching their idea for a reusable digital notebook that was reset by putting it in the microwave, entrepreneurs Jake Epstein and Joe LeMay claimed to have a revolutionary idea on their hands. However, not only did the Sharks not see an opportunity with the product; they laughed the duo off the show, right into the arms of success. Shortly after airing, Epstein and LeMay reported earnings of over $10 million, and the Rocketbook was Amazon’s #1 best selling notebook in November 2016.

#11: Coffee Meets Bagel

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These sisters said it themselves - it’s yet another dating site. However, the idea behind the app, which allows users to meet potential dates through mutual friends on social media, was unique enough that it sparked a huge offer from Shark Mark Cuban - 30 million dollars for the entire company. The sisters refused, preferring to keep the company for themselves. Though the offer itself fell through, seeing the interest from Cuban drew other investors to the app once the show aired. Enjoying massive amounts of marketing exposure and investor interest, the app continues to grow and make its mark in the world of online dating.

Even billionaires drop their phones sometimes. To avoid the problem of smashed phone screens, David Artuso and Mike Kane came up with an idea for a tougher phone case, as well as a guaranteed repair or replacement if the phone broke while within it. Unfortunately, the Sharks weren’t biting. Predicting that bigger companies with larger budgets would pounce on the idea as soon as CellHelmet became big, it didn’t take long for the investors to scatter. But upon arriving home, the two founders immediately discovered that their inbox was filled with offers from other investors. CellHelmet has been available at over 3000 wireless stores across the U.S.

It’s a stuffed animal, but it’s also a washcloth and toy for bathtime. That’s the crooks of it. And after their $50k Kickstarter helped them launch, Ray and Alvin hoped to secure a $260k investment for 10% of their company. The Sharks hit out at the pricing of the product right away, and suggested they find a way to lower it. Ray and Alvin regroup and hit the Sharks with another offer - $350k for 15% - but that doesn’t go down well. They then get an offer to buy the company outright for $1 million - but they pass on the offer and leave empty handed. Since their appearance on Shark Tank, Ray and Alvin have done deals with Disney Baby and Paw Patrol, and are still going strong.

Even with the Sharks expert financial advice, sometimes you might be able to see your company’s potential better than they ever could. After pitching an ultra-minimal sandal for either day-to-day or running use, Steve Sashen and Lena Phoenix predicted that their product was worth $5 million. Calling the sandals nothing more than “rubber and a string,” the Sharks scattered, but the money soon started rolling in. In the week after the show aired, Xero Shoes managed to sell the same amount they usually sold in three months. The sandals might be simple, but they sell.

Hindsight is always 20/20. When the three Dame brothers from Idaho pitched their idea for Proof Eyewear – one-of-a-kind glasses frames crafted from wood – the concept itself impressed the Sharks. Though the brothers presented some impressive numbers for a fairly new company, only Sharks Robert and Kevin offered deals, both of which the brothers refused. After the show, Proof used the “wood” trend to its advantage, almost tripling their sales shortly afterwards and continuing to grow and build their brand. After all, what’s more appealing than being eco-friendly AND stylish?

It’s tea, but it tastes like coffee, or at least that’s what we think it is. And that’s kind of the point. Allison DeVane created this special coffee copycat as she likes coffee, but it gives her headaches. And she went into the Shark Tank looking for $50k for a 10% stake in her company. But from the get-go, the Sharks were confused about the product, and what Allison could actually bring to the table from a business sense. It got quite intense, especially for Allison, as she started crying and pleading with the Sharks. Neither of them invested, and all seemed lost. But since then, Allison has excelled, with online and retail sales thriving.

We know, it’s not the greatest name, but a cake mix created specifically for dogs to enjoy some pooch pampering sounds good to us. Creator Kelly was looking for a $50,000 investment for 25% of her company. And she even brought her dog Minnie along to show just how enticing her doggy cake blend is. The Sharks don’t bite however, and largely dismiss the company as a gimmick, and say it needs more products in its line-up besides cake mix. They also question Kelly’s commitment. She leaves empty handed - but in her post-Tank interview, said she was going to build on the weaknesses outlined by The Sharks. And it appears she did just that. Kelly has expanded the range to include things like doggy ice cream, and she also landed a lucrative licensing agreement with Uncle Jimmy’s Brand Products.

In the words of founder Derek Pacqué, this business turned “an inconvenience into an opportunity.” Pitching his high-tech coat checking system to the Sharks with zero sales under his belt was a risky move, and resulted in the recent business-school graduate walking away after rejections and a declined offer. However, since appearing on the show, CoatChex has been hired by prestigious events like New York Fashion Week, the Super Bowl, and Life in Color. This inconvenience sure was an opportunity; and one that this company was quick to seize.

#3: Chef Big Shake [aka CBS Foods]

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There’s a burger for everyone’s taste nowadays - turkey, beef, veggie, vegan, shrimp… wait, what was that last one? When chef Shawn Davis came into the Tank and proposed his idea of shrimp burgers, the Sharks were all about the taste, but not about the valuation of the company. Leaving with no offer on the table but plenty of praise for the food itself, Davis went home to a hero's welcome and another investor who granted a better offer than what he’d originally asked for. With his burgers having been sold in over 2,000 grocery stores, Davis’ appetite for business didn’t slow down.

Here’s an entrepreneur so confident in his product that he not only managed to get onto the show twice; he refused offers both times. Pitching his “wine by the glass” concept, James Martin butted heads with the Sharks during his two separate appearances on the show. Experiencing a flood of sales and exposure after both his first and second appearances, Martin grew the company to the point where he was making over $25 million in revenue. Kevin O’Leary has called Martin “the one that got away,” and we can imagine that nowadays wine might taste a little less sweet to Mr. Wonderful.

The Sharks aren’t the only investors prowling the waters. Originally named the DoorBot, this product kickstarted a new type of smart-home security. It’s a doorbell equipped with a camera that streams footage to your smartphone. After rejection from most of the Sharks and a declined offer, the product attracted other huge investors including Richard Branson, Goldman Sachs, and Qualcomm Ventures. Developer Jamie Siminoff has since rebranded the DoorBot into the “Ring” app, and continues to expand and create new products for his line. Good thing he opened the door when opportunity came knocking.