Marine veteran Willie Blount and his cousin, Tarik Rodgers, pitch Bear Tek, their blue tooth enabled gloves, in the season 7 Shark Tank “Military Special.” Blount served six years in the Marine Corps, where he studied electronic theory. As an avid motorcyclist, Blount got concerned about the safety of adjusting the music from his phone while riding. He envisioned a glove that he could effortlessly (and safely) control his phone with without taking his hands off the handlebars.
In 2010, Blount got together with his cousin and the pair designed the first Bear Tek gloves. About a year and a half later, they had their first working products for sale. Rodgers, an avid skier, had input with the design of the ski gloves. All BearTek gloves control both smart phones and Go Pro cameras. This lets the user go “hands free” with their devices. Prices range from $79-$249 and the gloves are available on Amazon.
Which Shark will think these smart gloves are a nice fit?
My Take on Bear Tek
Back in my skiing days, smart phones weren’t invented yet, but I often took a camera with me when I hit the slopes. Having a Go Pro paired with Bear Tek gloves would have prevented a lot of cold hands! I get the idea behind these products. I will likely never ski again (knees and back) and I am not much for motorcycles, but they could come in handy riding a regular bicycle.
I’d love it if they made a lighter weight pair for biking – I’d probably use them. I am IN!
Will Sharks Think these Gloves are a Smart investment?
This company has a product Blount calls “future proof.” As long as people have phones and cameras they want to control while engaging in activities that require the use of their hands, they’ll need (or want) a way to safely control them. There are other blue tooth enabled gloves on the market, some even allow you to talk on your phone right from the gloves. Most of these other gloves are made of fabric and aren’t as heavy-duty as the Bear Tek gloves.
The Sharks will likely know about competing products, so Blount and Rodgers will need to differentiate their gloves from the others. The strength of their branding and their sales will have a lot to do with whether or not a Shark bites.
Earlier in season seven, Mark and Robert invested $1 million in Polar Pro, another tech accessories company. They realized that accessories that enhance technology and make its use more convenient is a good space to be in. Whether that kind of thinking gets Bear Tek an investment remains to be seen. If the valuation is on target and sales are decent, Blount and Rodgers should field an offer or two.
About Rob Merlino
Speak Your Mind