Shark Tank Season 17, Episode 13

Arica Griner and Nick Murray of Orange County, California pitched Hot Girl Soda, an aloe vera-infused prebiotic soda with four grams of fiber per can and less sugar than traditional soda, in flavors like mango dragon fruit and passion fruit-vanilla. Arica started mixing aloe juice with fruit juice and sparkling water in her kitchen while dealing with acne-prone skin, and the couple had invested $120,000, including money from her mother's second mortgage. Sales were $8,500 on Amazon about two and a half months after launch. Kevin O'Leary said beverage brands need serious capital before profitability, Daymond John called them the nicest people he had ever met but saw nothing for him yet, Robert Herjavec simply didn't enjoy the drink, and Lori Greiner praised the mango dragon fruit but lacks beverage expertise. Allison Ellsworth, whose Poppi had just been acquired, called the functional soda market brutally competitive and offered her phone number and advice rather than a deal. No offers.

Out

Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Allison Ellsworth

Rachel Irons and Verity Noble of Boulder, Colorado pitched Nude Foods Market, a zero-waste, plastic-free grocery store that sells food in reusable glass containers customers return to be washed and refilled, with about 20% of revenue from in-house products. Rachel is a former environmental science student who surveyed ocean pollution as a scuba diver; Verity holds an MBA and once stuffed green beans in her pockets at Whole Foods rather than use a plastic bag. They bootstrapped the first 2,500-square-foot store with $8,000, reached $1.8 million in sales from it last year with $2.7 million projected, and had raised nearly $1 million at a $7.2 million valuation. Daymond John said he wasn't the right investor for a grocery business, Lori Greiner had a conflict with a similar investment, and Allison Ellsworth had lost money on a grocery chain before. Robert Herjavec offered $250,000 for 20% and Kevin O'Leary asked to split it. The founders countered at 5% plus advisory shares; the sharks said 20% had zero flexibility, and Rachel and Verity accepted.

Interested

Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary

Out

Daymond John, Lori Greiner, Allison Ellsworth

Brothers Rami and Sami Mubasher of Bastrop, Texas pitched Clean Green Golf Balls, a family business that recovers lost balls from ponds and courses, cleans and grades them by brand and condition, and resells them online at a fraction of the price of new. In summer 2021 Rami sourced 20,000 used balls, listed them online, and sold out in one weekend; sales went from $3 million in 2022 to $6 million in 2024 with roughly $700,000 annual profit and $7.1 million projected for 2025. Allison Ellsworth doesn't play golf, Daymond John joked he doesn't like golfers, and Lori Greiner felt the brothers might not need a shark. Kevin O'Leary offered $350,000 for 10% plus a $1 royalty per ball; Robert Herjavec offered $350,000 for 17% with no royalty. The two combined at $350,000 for 15% plus a $1-per-unit royalty until $1.05 million is recouped. The brothers tried for 12%, the sharks wouldn't budge, and they accepted.

Interested

Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec

Out

Allison Ellsworth, Daymond John, Lori Greiner

Sarah Fox of San Diego pitched Rip Tie, a patent-pending wrap-around hair tie for surfers, swimmers and runners with a large loop for the ponytail base, a braided section that wraps down the hair, and a small tie-off loop, so long hair stays tangle-free in water and wind. She worked at a scuba shop in Guam where her hair tangled constantly after hours in the ocean, perfected the design with elastics, and grew the business by answering posts in Facebook groups for divers and surfers. Sales went from $40,000 in 2022 to $1.5 million in 2024 at about 92% gross margin, with $3.5 million projected. Daymond John saw $700,000 in unanswered questions about where the profit went, and Robert Herjavec felt the margins and marketing costs didn't add up. Kevin O'Leary offered $250,000 for 25%, then dropped to 15%. Lori Greiner and Allison Ellsworth jointly offered $250,000 for 20%, declined to match Kevin's 15%, and Sarah chose them anyway.

Interested

Lori Greiner, Allison Ellsworth, Kevin O'Leary

Out

Daymond John, Robert Herjavec