Flightpath Shark Tank Update — Shark Tank Season 17
How Flightpath’s patented, tournament-legal design reduces spin and friction to help golfers hit longer, straighter shots with unmatched durability.
Michael and Caroline Sierra entered the stage of “Shark Tank Season 17 Episode 8,” pitching their brand Flightpath. Their brand developed a mostly overlooked product in the golf industry, which was underestimated by the golfers: the golf tees.
Now the big question is: whether the Sharks would invest in this out-of-the-box idea, or will they decide to pass?
About Flightpath
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Flightpath |
| Founders | Michael Sierra and Caroline Sierra |
| Industry | Golf |
| Product | Golf tees |
| Investment Asked | $300,000 for 10% equity |
| Deal Status | No deal |
| Valuation | $3 million |
Once, Mike Sierra went to the University of Central Florida Campus and saw a unique type of golf tee in a pitch event. The golf tees are one of the most overlooked products amongst golfers, but Daniel Whalen, a scientist, developed a unique tee. The product was made to solve the performance issue faced by the golfers.
After listening to the pitch, Michael, with his entrepreneurial drive, called Caroline Castille, who was a digital marketer. They met each other during UCF’s Blackstone Launchpad event and decided to launch Flightpath in 2020.
Moreover, the Flightpath golf tees are developed from high-performance polycarbonate, which decreases friction. As a result, the ball speed is increased along with a reduction in ball spin and increased accuracy.
As claimed by the founder, the tees are robotically tested. Hence, golfers can set an aim in the direction of the arrow embedded with the tee.
Besides, unlike the traditional wooden golf tees that broke very easily, these are more impact-resistant and durable. Now, let’s dive deeper into what happened at the Tank and what makes the tees unique.
Flightpath Golf Shark Tank Pitch
Michael and Caroline Sierra stepped into the Tank seeking $300,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in their brand, further valuing the business at $3 million. They presented the box of tees in front of the Sharks, and most of them, especially Lori Greiner, being a golfer, liked the product.
Kevin O’Leary showed skepticism towards the golf tees, as most of the time, the tees are provided free of charge in clubs. Nevertheless, Mike claimed that the value they are providing is that golfers just have to buy this tee once. When Michael Strahan asked the founders about the selling cost, they said that a box of eight tees sells for $25.
Caroline shocked the Sharks when she said that their lifetime sales stood at $11.8 million in just 4 years of business. To understand the revenue generation, Robert asked about the revenue of 2024, and Caroline responded that they earned $4.3 million. Out of that, they made a net profit of $46,000.
Mike explained to the investors that their profit was so low because the year they launched the product, their loss was $60,000 because of the CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost). Additionally, in 2022 and 2023, Flightpath made $60,000 and $300,000 in revenue, along with a net profit of $30,000 and $60,000.
Lori Greiner asked the founders, in skepticism, about the ad spend, which stood at $2 million. Thus, after listening to the unexciting figures, most of the Sharks were not excited about investing in the brand.
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What Makes Flightpath Unique?
There are various reasons why the golf tees made by Flightpath are unique. Let’s have a look at some of those.
- Flightpath golf tees are robotically tested, and they increase the distance covered without affecting the accuracy. It happens because it reduces backspin from drivers.
- Furthermore, these tees are designed to reduce friction. It helps avoid unwanted sidespin that further leads to slices.
- The Flightpath tees are unlike traditional wooden tees that force players to select between power and control. It simultaneously improves both.
- In fact, it is the world’s first golf tee with an embedded arrow, which is legal in tournaments. Further, it enables players to aim precisely.
Did Flightpath Get A Deal On Shark Tank?
After sharing the financials with the Sharks, both Mike and Caroline told them about why their revenue went down. One of the reasons was that they switched their third-party logistics partner, and they were charging them $2 extra.
Consequently, this was one reason why Kevin O’Leary got really upset and disappointed. He bluntly stated that the founders screwed up multiple times.
Even Barbara Corcoran agreed with Kevin and told them that the founders were not ready to take ownership of their mistakes. She decided to bow out of the deal. Following her, Robert Herjavec also decided to stay out because he just could not connect to the story.
Also, another disappointing problem was that they had a seller financing deal of $800, and they have yet to pay off. Kevin bowed out as he thought that they had lost their opportunity to succeed.
Similarly, Lori Greiner stepped out because she just did not want to be a part of those problems. When all eyes were on Michael Strahan, the co-founder, Caroline tried to convince him. However, he did not sway from his decision to stay out.
Hence, the couple had to walk empty-handed from the Tank.
Flightpath Golf Shark Tank Update
After the episode aired, Flightpath got more visibility and traction, though they could not secure a deal with the investors. Currently, they are running a Buy 3 and Get 2 discount offer on their official website.
Where Can You Buy It?
You can purchase the Flightpath golf tees from their official website, as they are currently only selling through it. You can get more updates about the brand from their Instagram page.
Quick Summary
- Michael Sierra and Caroline Sierra stormed the Tank, pitching their brand, Flightpath. Flightpath developed golf tees for golfers.
- Their product was unique, and unlike the traditional wooden tees, their tees increased the accuracy, speed, and distance by reducing friction.
- Furthermore, the business was full of risks, and the founders already owed $800K. This disappointed all the Sharks, and thus all of them backed out.
