Highlights
- Wake n Bacon replaces a loud alarm clock with the smell of sizzling bacon to wake you up gently.
- Sallin sought $40,000 for 20% equity but failed to secure a deal due to safety concerns and lack of market projections.
- The product remains in prototype stage, and Sallin’s pitch was considered too early for investment.
Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Wake n Bacon |
| Founder | Matty Sallin |
| Industry | Consumer Electronics, Kitchen Gadgets |
| Product | Alarm clock that wakes you with the smell of bacon |
| Funding | Sought $40,000 on Shark Tank |
| Investment Ask | $40,000 |
| Equity Offered | 20% |
| Valuation | $200,000 (at the time of Shark Tank pitch) |
In one of the wackiest pitches in Shark Tank history, Matty Sallin brings his Wake n Bacon invention to the Shark Tank in episode 202. While in college, Sallin took an introductory electronics class. As a class project, he created a new kind of alarm clock. The idea is simple enough. Who doesn’t love bacon, especially first thing in the morning? Even more importantly, who doesn’t hate waking up to a jangling alarm clock?
Sallin sought to solve the problem of the loud alarm clock while substituting the jangle for a gentler wake-up call: the scent of sizzling bacon, wafting through the room, gently bringing the sleeper awake, and even providing a tasty breakfast treat as an added incentive for getting out of bed. Will the Sharks take a snap at this innovative invention, or will Sallin find himself leaving the stage squealing and without a deal?
Wake n Bacon Shark Tank Recap
Sallin comes into the Tank asking the Sharks for a $40,000 investment in exchange for a 20% stake in the company. He explains the history and idea behind his product, and offers the Sharks a taste of crispy bacon goodness.
The Sharks are amused by the novelty product, but Sallin’s presentation begins to break down when Kevin O’Leary asks, “Ok let’s say you sell 10,000 of these. What do you do when number 10,001 catches fire and burns the couple in their bed? Do you really think people want something cooking next to the bed?”
Did Wake n Bacon Get A Deal?
Sallin believes he can get his Wake n Bacon UL listed and safe for household use, but the Sharks are unconvinced. He doesn’t have a projection for potential sales, or a strong idea of the market. Kevin O’Leary tells Sallin: “You’ve got no projections whatsoever. You’ve got a pig box that’s going to catch on fire and kill somebody, and I’m going to get sued into the stone age. I’m out.”
Barbara Corcoran believes the idea is whimsical and a novelty item, but she doesn’t believe that anyone actually wants bacon at the bedside. She’s out. Robert Herjavec follows. Three Sharks are out. Only Daymond John and Mark Cuban remain. Daymond John says “I like bacon,” but he’s out.
Mark Cuban says he’s “interested in the idea,” a statement met with incredulity by O’Leary, but he believes the idea is in too early a stage. He’s out. Sallin leaves the stage without a Shark deal.
Wake n Bacon Shark Tank Update
The Sharks look for a few things in a new invention: A solid market, preferably with orders for sales on hand, a solid track record of previous sales, and at very least, a proprietary element that can be patented to prevent imitators. Sallin’s Wake n Bacon is a mere prototype. While other products, notably Ava the Elephant, began life in the Shark Tank at the prototype stage, this approach backfires for Sallin.
Cuban’s final nibble at Sallin was to ask what happens after the prototype is developed. Sallin’s answer, that he’ll seek further investment at that time, is unsatisfactory. He asked the Sharks to invest at too early a stage, and that lack of planning, rather than the novelty of his product, is what really killed the deal. Cuban explained that he needed $170,000, and he only asked for $40,000. Nothing’s worse than poorly cooked bacon, except perhaps, a half baked idea.
Posts about Wake n Bacon on Shark Tank Blog
Wake n’ Bacon No Shark Tank Deal
More products from this episode! Check out other businesses that participated alongside Wake n Bacon.
Id buy one for $25.00 in a heartbeat! You could probably sell these for $40.00. I’d buy one for 40 bucks! These would sell!
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