Shark Tank Season 17, Episode 11

Jan 28, 2026 · A Box Cutter Founder Walks Away From $200,000 Rather Than Give Up 20%

On the panel: Chip and Joanna Gaines, Daniel Lubetzky, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary

Who Got a Deal on Shark Tank Season 17, Episode 11

Recap

The Verdict

Conviction was the theme: two deals, one no-deal by choice, and a dorm-bed startup whose hidden $650,000 from a founder's father cost it a shark.

Conviction and confidence set this episode apart, with founders backing their visions regardless of the outcome. Two pitches got deals, one got nothing, and one founder turned down real money rather than move off his valuation. History By Mail returned for an update segment from Season 16 that included a partnership with magician David Copperfield and a tour of his museum of conjuring arts.

BocceRoll, a portable roll-up yard game blending bocce, arcade scoring and cornhole that became the most funded yard game in Kickstarter history, had $560,000 in 2024 sales. Barbara Corcoran played it and declared she simply did not find it fun, while Kevin O'Leary and Daniel Lubetzky worried about retail demos and size. Lori Greiner teamed with Chip and Joanna Gaines at $100,000 for 25%; the founders accepted, though a request to add a line of credit was turned down flat. The Yes Girls, a luxury proposal and elopement planning service with $374,000 in revenue from 94 events, got five exits and a parting note from Daniel to always invest in each other.

Rob Wright's BoxBlayde, a cordless electric box cutter with $500,000 in 2024 sales, drew a $200,000 for 20% offer from Kevin with Chip Gaines and a $200,000 for 15% offer from Daniel. When Wright hesitated, Daniel pulled his offer, and Wright walked rather than give up 20% of a company he valued at $4 million. The night closed with Somnia+, a $699 kit that widens a Twin-XL dorm bed by 25%. The reveal that co-founder Sloane Barry's father had put in $650,000 sent Daniel out, but Barbara offered $100,000 for 20% and settled at 17.5%.

Pitch by Pitch

Bocce RollBocce RollOutdoor & Adventure
Deal

Asked $100,000 for 10% · Deal $100,000 for 25% with Lori Greiner, Chip and Joanna Gaines

Nikki Hageman, Claude Drehfal and Ben Fisher pitched BocceRoll, a portable roll-up yard game where players roll wooden balls down a bamboo ramp toward a pallina, scoring for contact or landing in marked zones, first to 21. Hageman and Drehfal met at Wisconsin's Make48 invention competition, where the concept won, and a 2023 Kickstarter raised $155,000 against a $10,000 goal, the most funded yard game in the platform's history. Sales were about $560,000 in 2024 with $1.1 million and $200,000 net profit projected for 2025, at $149 retail on a $57 cost. Barbara Corcoran did not find it fun, Kevin O'Leary worried about demonstrating it in retail, and Daniel Lubetzky thought it too heavy to scale. Lori Greiner with Chip and Joanna Gaines offered $100,000 for 25% jointly. The founders accepted, and asked for a line of credit on top, which all three sharks declined.

Best Moment
“After the sharks played the game, Barbara declared she simply did not find it fun and went out, and the founders' request for a line of credit on top of the deal was turned down flat by Lori, Chip and Joanna.”
Interested
Lori Greiner, Chip and Joanna Gaines
Out
Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O'Leary, Daniel Lubetzky

Where they are now:Operating$564,000 revenueFull update →

Outdoor & Adventure companies have a 83% deal rate on Shark Tank

The Yes GirlsThe Yes GirlsServices
No Deal

Asked $85,000 for 15%

Riley and Joe Canty pitched The Yes Girls, a luxury proposal, elopement and micro-wedding planning service that designs custom experiences around a couple's love story, with packages from about $15,000 to $150,000. The company was founded by Heather Vaughn in 2008 and has planned more than 6,000 proposals; Riley took over as CEO with a $250,000 five-year owner-financed loan. Revenue was $374,000 from 94 events at 28% margins, with 73 events booked year to date. Daniel Lubetzky felt proposals are personal events where people want creative control, Kevin O'Leary saw no clear path to scale, Lori Greiner and Barbara Corcoran thought they didn't need a partner, and Chip and Joanna Gaines weren't sure how they could help. No offers, and the couple left satisfied with the exposure.

Best Moment
“As he went out, Daniel Lubetzky told the husband-and-wife team to always invest in each other.”
Out
Daniel Lubetzky, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Chip and Joanna Gaines

Where they are now:ThrivingFull update →

Services companies have a 49% deal rate on Shark Tank

Box BlaydeBox BlaydeTechnology
No Deal

Asked $200,000 for 5%

Rob Wright pitched BoxBlayde, a 40-watt cordless electric box cutter with a vibrating guarded blade and an elevated lip that cuts cardboard without damaging the contents inside. He designed it after slicing into a box's contents with a utility knife during the pandemic delivery surge, launched on Kickstarter in 2023 and commercially in April 2024. Sales were $500,000 in 2024 with about $40,000 profit, and $920,000 projected for 2025, at $99 retail on a $30 landed cost. Barbara Corcoran found it too heavy and Lori Greiner passed. Kevin O'Leary offered $200,000 for 20% and Chip Gaines joined him; Daniel Lubetzky offered $200,000 for 15%. When Wright hesitated, Daniel withdrew. Wright refused to give up 20% or move off his $4 million valuation and walked away without a deal.

Best Moment
“Daniel put $200,000 for 15% on the table and then pulled it as Wright hesitated, leaving only the 20% offer, which Wright turned down to keep his equity.”
Interested
Kevin O'Leary, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Daniel Lubetzky
Out
Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner

Where they are now:Thriving$920,000 revenueFull update →

Technology companies have a 56% deal rate on Shark Tank

SOMNIA+SOMNIA+Home & Lifestyle
Deal

Asked $100,000 for 5% · Deal $100,000 for 17.5% with Barbara Corcoran

Brennan Hellmers and Sloane Barry of Dallas pitched the Somnia+ Dorm Bed Expander Kit, a patent-pending, tool-free system of heavy-duty Velcro straps and foam blocks that widens a Twin-XL dorm bed by about 25% without violating dorm rules, sold for $699. They started the company in 2023 after their own college years on Twin-XL beds. Sales were $188,000 in roughly a year, with install videos at 30 million views and customers on more than 100 campuses. The pitch turned when the founders disclosed $650,000 in prior funding from Sloane's father, which the sharks felt they had withheld until asked; Daniel Lubetzky went out over it, and Joanna Gaines and Lori Greiner passed. Kevin O'Leary offered $100,000 for a small stake plus a per-bed royalty, which the founders rejected. Barbara Corcoran offered $100,000 for 20% and came down to 17.5%.

Best Moment
“The reveal that Sloane's father had put in $650,000 disappointed the sharks, who felt misled about how bootstrapped the founders were, and sent Daniel out on the spot.”
Interested
Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O'Leary
Out
Daniel Lubetzky, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Lori Greiner

Where they are now:Operating$250,000 revenueFull update →

Home & Lifestyle companies have a 67% deal rate on Shark Tank

Where to Buy the Products from Shark Tank Season 17, Episode 11

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