‘Shark Tank’ preview: Frends Headphones, popSLATE, Slyde Handboards, Petnostics, and Ashton Kutcher
Friday night marks another new episode of “Shark Tank,” and for the second time this season, Ashton Kutcher’s coming aboard as a guest Shark! The star of Netflix’s “The Ranch” will be there with Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec to oversee the latest pitches, and given his tech portfolio already, it makes sense that two of the four products featured in this installment are apps of some variety.
Before we dive into the individual spotlights, let’s share the official synopsis via ABC:
“A man from Los Angeles has an innovative way to check your pet’s health instantly with your phone, but an old-fashioned way to capture the specimen; an engaged couple from Monarch Beach, California have a lot riding on making a deal for their hand-held surfing boards; two men from Encinitas, California provide female consumers a stylish way to listen to music on fashionable headphones; and an entrepreneur from Mountain View, California has an idea that makes the most of the unused space on the backside of your cell phone. Also, Barbara Corcoran invites several entrepreneurs from businesses she’s invested in to Cabo San Lucas to discuss topics ranging from opening up an online business to dealing with the “overnight” success of being on the show.”
Frends – Yep, it’s spelled that way on purpose! These are advertised as being stylish, high-quality headphones, and they really have to be given the price on them. The cheaper products run about $150, which is a lot for an everyday consumer; with that being said, this is probably less than you’re going to pay retail for many Beats By Dre headphones, so they’re priced pretty fairly for the high-end market. They just have to convince the Sharks that their headphones will be “Frends” for consumers out there.
Petnostics – This is a phone app that will make it easier to perform a urine analysis test on your pet, and help you analyze their health even before bringing them in to see a vet. Maybe this is a good preventative product, and we all do love our pets, don’t we? It’s a fascinating bit of science, but our question is whether or not this is something that the average pet owner would use versus regular vet appointments. We’re not quite sure they would.
popSlate – Have you ever felt like you are not making the most of the backside of your iPhone? Apparently if you answer this question with a “yes,” this new innovation is for you. Basically, this acts as a second screen so that your phone can help you find important information you seek faster than you would have it otherwise. In theory, it’s incredibly cool, and while we’re not sure we personally need more that one screen, some out there would likely enjoy having this very much.
Slyde Handboards – We’ve seen many products in the surfing / water-sports category get deals and do well on “Shark Tank,” and we’re feeling optimistic about this one, as well. We’re not going to pretend that we know much about bodysurfing, but the boards look high-quality, have nice designs, seem fairly-priced given the market, and have a lot of innovation behind them with all customers in mind. With a good presentation, margins, and valuation, we can easily see a deal here.
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