Shark Tank: 5 Products That Went On To Be Successful (& 5 That Failed)

It’s easy to forget that some of the most popular products on store shelves today actually got their start, or at least their first taste of public recognition, on reality TV series Shark Tank. The show has five (or more) wealthy business “sharks,” including regulars like Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec and guest “sharks” like Ashton Kutcher, Richard Branson, and Bethenny Frankel, listen to pitches from excited entrepreneurs who believe that they have invented the next big thing.

Sometimes the product turns out to be a complete dud. Sometimes, with the investment of a shark, the brand skyrockets to sell millions. And other times, the sharks decline and the companies go on to become the one that got away. Which were some of the biggest successes and biggest failures?

10 Tipsy Elves: Success

Whoever said a seasonal business couldn’t become a year-long trend was wrong. Robert Herjavec believed in two guys and their idea to sell outlandish holiday-themed sweaters, including ugly sweaters with unique twists, and it paid off, big time.

The company has generated more than $100 million to date, it was confirmed in a recent lookback episode, and remains Herjavec’s most successful investment from the show.

9 The Body Jac: Failure

Invented by a man who called himself Cactus Jack, this piece of workout equipment was trying to become the next big thing in home workouts. Except it was trying to get into a seriously crowded and highly competitive market. The idea was a machine that helps you do push-ups. Er. Isn’t the point to do these without help?

After Barbara Corcoran suggested Jack needed to lose weight himself to convince any investor that the product works, he did and secured an investment. But it didn’t work out in the end and the product disappeared into thin air.

8 Scrub Daddy: Success

Now dubbed “America’s Favorite Sponge,” this was such a simple invention that fell into the “why didn’t I think of that category?” It’s simple a sponge in the shape of a smiley face, with the holes conveniently placed so you can insert your fingers to clean out the bottom of bottles and cups, for example, and get into those hard-to-reach spots.

What also sets it apart is the polymer material that gives it the ability to become soft when placed in hot water and hard in cold water. After receiving an investment on the show from Lori Greiner, the cleaning tool went on to achieve some of the highest revenue ever from the show.

7 Hy-Conn: Failure (Sort-of)

There was so much hope for this product, a connector that makes it quick and easy fire firefighters to attach garden hoses to fire hydrants. It had the potential to save lives by shaving precious seconds off the process. Mark Cuban was so impressed that he invested $1.25 million in the company.

Sadly, the deal fell apart. While it was a failure for Mark and the inventors to partner up, the product seems to still be available in both a pro and home editions and the company is seemingly doing pretty well. So it wasn’t a complete failure.

6 Squatty Potty: Success

With a tagline like “the number-one way to go number two!” how could this product not be a success. No, it isn’t a potty for kids but rather ones to help adults who have trouble passing their stools. It fits atop the toilet so you can squat rather than sit, which reportedly helps during the elimination process than slides under and out of sight when you don’t need it.

Now apparently backed by science, endorsed by the likes of Howard Stern, and with a reported more than $30 million in sales, it was a roaring success.

5 ShowNo Towels: Failure

What do you get when you combine a towel and a poncho? This nifty invention by mom Shelly Ehler, who ended up licensing it to Legoland and Six Flags Magic Mountain. It seems the relationship with Lori Grenier, from whom Ehler received an investment on the show, ended on a sour note.

Despite those big licensing contracts, the company seemed to have fizzled out and hasn’t been heard from for years.

4 Ring: Success

Considered to be one of the most successful companies that didn’t get an investment on the show, Jamie Siminoff showed up back in 2013 with a pitch he thought was a brilliant idea for a video doorbell. No one was biting on the concept and he went home without a deal.

In 2018, the company that became Ring with an expanded line of security cameras, video doorbells, smart lights, and more, was sold to Amazon for $1 billion. And it remains the biggest regret of all the sharks for passing on what could have made them millions.

3 Qubits: Failure

Way back in the first season of the show, Mark Burginger impressed with his puzzle toy that allows kids to make different geometric shapes and designs. He had acquired a patent and had some sales, though he had given away 51% of his company.

Daymond John said he would invest but only if Burginger could successfully sell the idea to one of the four top toy companies. Burginger couldn’t pull out a win and the deal was dead. That said, you actually can still find Qubits toys for sale on sites like Amazon.

2 Bombas: Success

Revealed to represent the most successful deal ever made on the show in the recent look-back episode, Bombas caught Daymond John’s attention because of its focus on philanthropy as much as making money. The apparel brand focused on funky-designed socks that, with every purchase, a clothing item is donated to the homeless.

In October 2019, Bombas had already donated 26.6 million pairs of socks and now T-shirts as well to homeless, at-risk, and in-need folks, just five years after inking that deal with John. As of 2018, the company’s revenue was beyond $100 million.

1 Sweet Ballz: Failure

It was a falling out between the business partner that led to the end of this potentially successful business selling delicious cake balls.  The two co-owners inked a deal with Mark Cuban but then got into a lawsuit against one another that ended up with one filing a restraining order against the other.

Needless to say, while the deal was sweet at the time, the Sweet Ballz aren’t so sweet anymore. Though a website is up and running noting sales direct to customers in the U.S.

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