They say a dog is a man’s best friend and a human tends to bond well with it. But sometimes looking after it can be a bit of a challenge. For example, carrying separate packages of food, snacks, and water can be a hassle when traveling. To solve this problem, Blake St Clair introduced Bark’ems To Go. They were pre-packaged meals for the dogs, bringing ease to the owner and a complete meal for the pet.
Blake asked Shark Tank for $100,000 for a 51% stake in the company. Sharks weren’t sure that this innovative idea would be a successful venture or a complete failure. Were Sharks ready to break into a new ground? Find out in our Bark’em’s Shark Tank Update!
Bark’ems Net Worth
Blake St. Clair asked for a $100,000 investment in exchange for 51% equity in his company. This meant he valued his company at approximately $196,078. He did not secure any deal with the Sharks, so the valuation remained the same. After failing to raise funds through an IndieGoGo campaign and with the website going dark, the business never took off, and Bark’ems To Go did not generate any significant revenue. Given the lack of investor interest, consumer traction, and the absence of a functional product in the market, the current net worth of Bark’ems To Go is $0.
Bark’ems To Go Shark Tank Update
What Happened To Bark’em After Shark Tank?
Bark’ems wasn’t able to secure any investment from the Sharks, but that didn’t stop him. Blake did an IndieGoGo Campaign in June 2015, intending to raise $25,000. But the campaign also proved to be fruitless as it raised only $49. He also owned a website for marketing the product but after the failed campaign, the website also went dark. The product never made it to the market for sale. After a while, Blake launched ProductGoGo, a product design and development firm. However, the website has reportedly been down since October 2023.
Did Bark’ems Get a Deal On Shark Tank?
Kevin O’Leary didn’t see any potential in the product and refused to invest in the business. Mark Cuban didn’t invest in Bark’ems To Go as the business was in the initial stages and needed some work done before acquiring funds. Daymond John was skeptical regarding the patent of the design. He wasn’t sure the patent offered enough security to prevent the competitors from copying the design. Hence, Daymond also declined to offer investment. Barbara Corcoran didn’t invest in the product as she thought that a solution couldn’t be created for a problem that doesn’t exist. Robert Herjavec seemed interested in the innovation but decided not to invest. He advised Blake to work on the pending patent and contact pet food vendors to make the products available in the markets.
| Shark(s) Name | Offer and Demand | Counteroffer | Accepted? |
| Kevin O’Leary | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Mark Cuban | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Robert Herjavec | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Daymond John | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Barbara Corcoran | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Founders Backstory
Blake was a pet owner and wanted the convenience of feeding his dog on the go. Taking a dog for a walk or going for a trip was always a challenge for him as packing Rummy stuff took a lot of care. He had an innovative idea to assemble Lunchable packages for dogs that could provide instant meals to them. This freed the owners from packing a lot of stuff on travels and provided them convenience. The complete meal kit was designed in different sizes for different dogs.
Initial Pitch
Blake St. Clair was confident in achieving his goal of making his idea a success as he walked in. He offered 51% of stakes in his company in exchange for a $100,000 investment. Blake’s dog Rummy also accompanied him. Rummy helped in demonstrating the usage of the package to the Sharks. His company Bark’ems was focused on providing instant pre-packaged meals for dog owners.
The meal was designed to free the owners from the stress of packing everything whenever they had to go out with their pets. The pre-packaged meal had 1 full serving of premium pet food, vitamin-enhanced water, and an individually packed treat. The meal would be available for different species and sizes of pets. It provided an easy alternative to the owners instead of packing a lot of stuff. Blake opened the package and offered it to Rummy who got busy finishing his meal. This showed that the product was ready to use.
Queries About the Product
Barbara was disappointed by the Bark’ems To Go as it was messy when Rummy was having his meal. Blake explained that various sizes for different dogs would be available as soon as the product hit the market. Mark was interested in observing the packaging, while Robert was focused on Rummy. Mark asked whether the product would be available for different pets. Blake assured him that the production would expand to include other pets. However, Kevin didn’t seem impressed by the product and wasn’t sure why people would buy it. From his perspective, it wasn’t hard to pack a bag and carry it with you whenever you go out with your pet. Blake clarified that the product was designed to be a novelty or a convenience for the pet owners.
Daymond questioned if there was any patent available for the product. Blake explained that he had trademarked the name and the patent of the packaging was pending. Robert seemed to be interested in the product because, as a pet owner, he knew how troublesome packing for a dog was. Mark asked if Blake was able to get in contact with the big pet food companies. He revealed that he wasn’t able to secure any contacts. Daymond questioned whether anyone had bought the product before to which Blake answered that the product was never marketed.
Barbara asked about the logistics behind the product. Blake explained that the final product would be on sale for $3, stores would retail it for $2.50, and it would cost $0.64 to pack a meal. He further explained that the food was not included in the cost. A licensed company would be responsible for packing the premium food and treats into the patented parcels. Robert pointed out that the business idea was based on the product packaging. It wasn’t a viable business from any point of view.
Shark’s Response and Final Deal
Blake wasn’t able to secure any investment for Brak’ems To Go. Kevin outright rejected Blake’s proposal as he didn’t assume people would buy it. Mark also refused to invest anything as he pointed out that the business was still in the early stages. Daymond was impressed by the unique idea but backed out from the business as he was uncertain regarding the patent approval. Barbara commented that Bark’em’s To Go was designed to solve a phantom problem and passed on the offer. Robert also didn’t invest as though the product had potential, but Blake had to cover ground by getting the patent approved. He advised him to get in contact with the companies and try to negotiate with them.
What Went Wrong With Bark’ems On Shark Tank?
The idea of an instant pre-packaged meal for pets was fascinating at first glance. Blake gave various insights into the business and logistics. However, the Shark wasn’t confident in the business proposal and decided to give up on the offer
Blake’s business idea was based on the product packaging while the contents would’ve been sourced from a licensed pet food company. Daymond was skeptical of patent approval. Blake had trademarked the Bark’ems To Go, but the patent for the package was pending.
The samples didn’t include different sizes for various pets, making it difficult to gauge its usefulness. Mark backed off of the pitch, stating that the business was in its early stages and needed to gain more foothold in the market to get investments. Blake wasn’t able to secure any pet food companies for Bark’ems To Go. Barbara and Kevin thought that it was an unnecessary product. Daymond wasn’t sure if the patent would be enough to secure the product design from the competitors; hence, they refused to invest in it.
Product Availability
While Blake had a website for Bark’ems To Go, it hasn’t come to light whether he got approval for the patent. Moreover, the product did appear on IndieGoGo for a campaign. The campaign failed as only $49 was raised out of $25,000. After that, the website was reportedly down and the product never appeared in the market.
Conclusion:
Blake St. Clair came to the Shark Tank with confidence in his product. He asked for $100,000 in exchange for a 51% stake in his company. Despite a promising concept of pre-packaged meals for dogs, the product struggled to gain investment. The Sharks were not convinced by the product’s future and declined to invest. Even though Robert did see potential in Bark’ems To Go, he also declined the offer due to the absence of a licensed pet food company.
Subsequent attempts to raise funds through IndieGoGo were also unsuccessful. The lack of investor support and consumer interest prevented Bark’em’s To Go from reaching the market. It fell short of becoming a successful business venture even though it was aimed at providing an instant meal for pets.
My name is Saad, and I’m a Civil engineer turned web developer and a passionate content writer. One of my favorite tv shows to watch is Shark Tank. The entire business aspect of the show and how everyone wants to be an entrepreneur resonates with my inner entrepreneur side as well. Writing for the show as well as being a fan, I love every second that I write for it. Read more About me.