Trama

An 11-year-old inventor from San Clemente, California, recycles a skateboard deck to fit inside lockers and backpacks; an entrepreneur from Meridianville, Alabama, revolutionizes aerial sports; a husband and wife team from Vicksburg, Mississippi create outdoor camping gear; and an entrepreneur from San Francisco, California, claims her five-minute meditation app will help the world reduce stress.

In this episode of Shark Tank, several entrepreneurs presented their business ideas to the Sharks. Among the entrepreneurs were Richard Branson, Daymond, Mark, Lori, Robert, Sarah Blakely, Alex Rodriguez, Rohan Oza, and Bethenny Frankel. Richard Branson: Billionaire founder of the Virgin group. Innovative and successful entrepreneur of all time. Sarah Blakely: Creator of Spanx. Youngest US billionaire ever. Alex Rodriguez: Baseball legend, who built a business empire. Has a investment portfolio. Rohan Oza: VC. Creator behind some of most successful F&B brands in the US. Bethenny Frankel: Creator of the Skinny Girl brand.

First, we met "Locker Board," a compact skateboard designed to fit inside a locker. It was created by 11-year-old siblings, Carrie and Carson Kropfl, who sought $60,000 for 15% equity. Their unique selling point was recycling old discarded boards to create new ones. They were acquiring around 50 boards monthly this way and had sold $10,000 worth in nine months. Wants money for manufacturing, website. Sold 231 boards, Costs $13 per board. wholesales for $52 per board, and retails for $100 per board. Currently has a skateboard manufacturer to make these boards for him. Lori is out for no reason. Daymond is out as Carson can grow without the sharks. Mark offers $60,000 for 20%, to help him build up his marketing muscle. Branson offers $65,000 for 20%. Robert offers $60,000 as a loan. Carson goes with Branson as Carson wants to be "everywhere" and Branson has been everywhere.'

Next up was "Wyp Aviation," a wake-board-style vehicle designed to be towed behind an airplane, presented by Aaron Wypyszynski, who was seeking $500,000 for a 20% stake. He had a vision to establish indoor locations equipped with wind tunnels to simulate the airplane experience on the ground, but the roll-out had not yet occurred. The product is patented. Hasnt done the on ground roll-out yet. Lori is not into adventure sports and is out. The product costs $80 for a 2 min indoor flight. 1 location costs $4-5 million to set up. Aaron is looking to raise $3 million and borrow another $3 million for his first location. Mark thinks the business will require too much money and is out. Daymond is out similarly. Branson is out on valuation. Robert is a customer, but is out.

Then came "Sierra Madre Research," creators of a hammock tent, seeking $175,000 for a 15% stake. The product, priced at $350 with a 62% profit margin, had seen sales increase from $208,000 to $430,000. They have made a tent over a hammock, which has never been done. Daymond is out as he cant be of help. Lori is out as this is a crowded space and customer has many choices. Mark is out as product will be knocked off at some point. Robert is out as he doesn't see the hook. Branson offers $175,000 for 15%, with his share of profits going to charity. The couple accepts.

The final pitch was made by Yunha Kim, founder of "Simple Habit," a meditation app requesting $600,000 for a 5% equity stake. 20% of net revenue goes to teachers. The app had garnered 500,000 users in 12 months, generating $750,000 in recurring revenues. Her platform has many teachers, while competitors have a single teacher, and yet the business is losing money. Yunha has raised $2.8 million, so far at $12 million valuation. Has money in the bank, but needs sharks expertise. Mark calls Yunha a gold digger and Branson disagrees. Daymond is out as shark tank is for desperate entrepreneurs, not for people with millions in the bank. Lori is out as it would be irresponsible to raise more money at this point. Branson and Cuban throw water over each other. Branson is out as the ask is too high. Branson & Robert offers $600,000 for 20%. Yunha counters for 6%. Branson and Robert revise to 15%. Yunha rejects. Branson and Robert are out.

In a profile segment, we learned more about Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group. He recounted his journey to success, including starting a record company at the age of 15 and expanding Virgin into 300 different sectors, from health clubs to space flight. He shared his passion for adventure and his private island, Necker Island.

This episode marked the first one without Kevin O'Leary.