Hardworking moms and novel inventors, Krissy Pruske and Rachel Lincoln made a crash landing on tonight’s episode of the ABC hit, Shark Tank.
The dynamic duo approached their potential investors with enthusiasm, astronaut costumes, and space puns that were simply out of this world.
Simple, but effective
Their high-energy pitch included three children who could not stop fighting in the backseat of their car. Equipped with space-age suits, crash helmets, and their product, Space Traveler Kids, the moms were ready to put an ending to sibling rivalry.
The innovation of their product was in its simplicity. Merely place a malleable, tent-like contraption over one child (or all of them) to stop sibling squabbling in its tracks.
Once the open-faced pop-up was placed over the child in the middle seat, the arguments ceased as the children were physically separated. The apparatus contained mesh windows that could be covered for privacy, as well as storage pockets for snacks, books, or electronic devices.
The moms hypothesized that if the children couldn’t visually see one another, it would cut down on the physical fights and verbal bickering. Each could concentrate on their individual games or car-riding activities without fighting over them.
More importantly, the product promised a peaceful car ride, possibly eliminating distracted driving.
Creating a prototype
The ladies first conceptualized the product in 2018 when planning a cross-country vacation with the family.
Pruske, worried about her three children being in close proximity for a lengthy car ride, used collapsible hampers to separate the little ones. She then refined the idea by using collapsible dog kennels, which proved to have a better effect.
After that, the only fighting her children did was over which one could have the Space Traveler Kids over them.
Swimming with the sharks
The ladies pitched their product to sharks Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec, seeking $100,000 for a 33.3 percent stake.
In further explanations, the awesome twosome showed the sharks that the Space Traveler Kids was compatible with seatbelts, boosters, and car seats, with safety being the No. 1 priority.
Additionally, the devices were easily collapsible for storage and safekeeping.
Impressed with their innovation, the sharks pressed on, but were disappointed to hear that they had not sold any product, only possessing two prototypes.
The pre-revenue product was also costly to make. Production would cost $17 per piece, with a plan to sell them for $29.99. Lori was disinterested by the low-profit margin and dropped out.
Mark followed suit, taking issue with the fact that the inventors hadn’t looked into comparable patents from competitors. For his part, Robert thought that his children simply would not like to use the device, and dropped out as well.
Not surprisingly, Mr. Wonderful was not willing to take the journey with the moms either.
However, Barbara seemed to be willing to go on a ride with the spritely space cadets. She offered them the money they requested, with the caveat that she receive a royalty of $2 per product sold until her initial investment was repaid.
Pruske and Lincoln excitedly accepted, sending the Space Traveler Kids into full orbit.
Though the product is not ready to ship yet, it is available to pre-order at the Space Traveler Kids website. It sells for $39.95 plus shipping. There is also a Shark Tank deal, with a price point of $29.95. Customers can pay with Amazon Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal.
Shark Tank airs Fridays 8/7c on ABC.