Ever wonder which state is the favorite on Shark Tank? Spoiler alert: It’s California because they just can’t get enough of the sunshine and startups. They got 296 deals and a huge $76 million in investments. California takes the crown because that’s 31% of all the deals on the show.
Although California is a standout state, other states are rapidly coming up, demonstrating that the passion surrounding Shark Tank isn’t limited to the West Coast.
New York comes in second with 87 deals and $24.5 million. Not bad! Texas is also doing well, thanks to Mark Cuban. Other states like Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey are getting some love too, showing you don’t need to live by the beach to get some Shark Tank money!
In order to understand how the Sharks distribute their investments throughout the United States, let’s examine which states are winning on Shark Tank.
California leads all U.S. states in both the number of Shark Tank deals struck and total capital invested. Thanks to its massive startup ecosystem and proximity to tech and consumer goods manufacturing, the state accounts for hundreds of on-screen investments. The top states with the most Shark Tank deals generally reflect major U.S. population and business hubs:
California: The undisputed leader, dominating both deal volume (nearly 200 on-screen deals) and total investment money.
New York: Ranks second, heavily represented by fashion, tech, and CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) businesses.
Texas: Takes the third spot, anchored by growing tech and food-and-beverage hubs in cities like Austin and Dallas.
Florida & Illinois: Round out the top five, pulling in a high volume of deals from the Southeast and Midwest, respectively.
Note: While California and New York lead in raw deal counts, when adjusted per capita, Washington, D.C., actually tops the list for the highest concentration of deals per million residents.
California startups account for roughly 31% of all investments on Shark Tank, securing a massive portion of the show’s capital. While the state’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem makes it a magnet for the Sharks, high-profile California deals do not guarantee lasting success. For example, the toy-rental service Toygaroo, which landed a $200,000 investment in Season 2, ultimately filed for bankruptcy due to unsustainable shipping and inventory costs.
New York: Second in Line
New York is a powerhouse for Shark Tank deals, securing 87 transactions and $24.5 million in investments. This accounts for 10% of all investments and 9% of all transactions, making it the second most popular state for deals on the show. Why New York Attracts the Sharks?
Notable Sharks & Investments: New York draws Sharks with deep ties to the city, such as Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John. From fashion and tech to innovative food brands, their investments span a wide variety of industries.
The Daniel Lubetzky & Quavos Deal: A great example of the Sharks’ interest in New York’s health and lifestyle brands is KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky’s $200,000 investment in egg-white chip brand Quevos. Lubetzky’s family office, Equilibra, ultimately expanded its backing to over $1.35 million post-show to help scale its operations.
Thriving Ecosystem: New York’s entrepreneurial climate makes it a top target for high-profile acquisitions in the media, fashion, and food sectors.
Networking & Reach: Beyond its massive consumer base, New York gives founders direct access to investors through robust tech meetups, business events, and startup programs.
Texas: A Major Player
Texas ranks as a top Shark Tank destination, driven by a booming business climate, a diversified economy, and prominent investors like Dallas native Mark Cuban. However, Cuban’s famed $1.25 million, 100%-ownership offer for the fast-connecting hose company, Hyconn, ultimately fell through and did not close. Texas’s ongoing status as a major entrepreneurial hub continues to thrive due to several distinct factors:
Tech Booms: Metros like Austin serve as premier, high-growth technology and innovation hubs, drawing significant venture capital.
Economic Diversity: The blend of classic industries (like energy) with modern technology and consumer goods provides Sharks with a wide variety of scalable investment prospects.
Business Environment: Texas offers a welcoming regulatory and economic climate that consistently attracts creative entrepreneurs.
Florida and Georgia: Southern States with Good Deals
Florida and Georgia represent major southern frontiers for Shark Tank investments. Florida accounts for 7% of all agreements with 71 deals worth $16.2 million, driven by its vibrant consumer market. Georgia captures 3% of the total with 28 deals worth $5.7 million, celebrated for its business-friendly environment and Atlanta’s tech innovation.
Total Florida Deals: 71 agreements (7% of total), totaling $16.2 million.
Notable Investment: Robert Herjavec invested $50,000 for a 25% share in the grilling-accessory brand Grill Charms.
Market Drivers: Sharks are attracted to the state’s massive tourist footprint and thriving culinary and lifestyle enterprises.
Total Georgia Deals: 28 agreements (3% of total), totaling $5.7 million.
Key Investors: Sharks such as Daymond John and Mark Cuban frequently scout for opportunities here.
Market Drivers: Georgia’s expanding reputation as a business-friendly state draws heavy attention, bolstered by the burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem in Atlanta.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania: East Coast Deals
With 65 deals totaling $14.1 million, or 6.8% of all sales, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have a dominant position on the East Coast. Pennsylvania has 39 deals totaling $8.6 million, or 4% of all deals. New Jersey benefits from the resources and business culture of New York due to its close vicinity, which draws Sharks like Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary. One such example is Gift Card Rescue, a business in New Jersey that the Sharks invested $200,000 in for a 50% share.
Pennsylvania, which is home to well-known businesses like Scrub Daddy, has gained recognition for its innovative goods. Pennsylvania has established a reputation for producing goods that blend functionality and innovation because to agreements with Sharks like Daymond John and Mark Cuban. The state has a significant Shark Tank presence because of its attractive mix of conventional industries and innovation.
Illinois and Michigan: Strong in the Midwest
Illinois and Michigan currently dominate the Midwest’s entrepreneurial footprint on Shark Tank, with Illinois securing 44 deals totaling $9.5 million (4.5% of overall deals) and Michigan following with 27 deals worth $5 million (2.8% of investments). These states are backed by high-profile investors like Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner.
Nevada and Arizona: Notable Western Deals
Shark Tank investments in Nevada and Arizona total 37 regional deals valued at over $8.2 million, driven by the states’ rapidly expanding business ecosystems and strategic proximity to California. Notable deals in the region include Mark Cuban’s transaction with M3 Girl Designs, a popular magnetic bottle cap jewelry company.
Ohio and Indiana: Midwest Opportunities
The Midwest is gaining serious traction on ABC’s Shark Tank. Ohio businesses have secured 35 deals totaling $7.5 million (3.5% of total agreements), while Indiana has attracted 20 deals worth $3 million. Notable regional investments include a prominent pitch from Ohio’s Wine Balloon (now known as Air Cork), which garnered strong shark interest.
Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming: Deals in the Mountain States
While the HyConn pitch yielded a massive handshake agreement on Shark Tank, the deal with Mark Cuban ultimately fell apart behind the scenes over the fine print, and the acquisition never closed.Details of the Mountain States’ success on the show:
Utah
Overall Stats: 25 deals totaling $6.5 million.
Other Notable Deals: Local founders have struck notable agreements on the show, such as FiberFix securing $120,000 from Lori Greiner, and the back-pain relief wheel Chirp landing a deal to expand internationally.
Colorado
Overall Stats: 17 deals totaling $3.7 million.
Key Sharks: Robert Herjavec and Kevin O’Leary frequently assist local innovators.
Other Notable Deals: Startups like RigStrips secured a $300,000 investment on the show, and the Longmont-based GoodLove Foods successfully landed a $150,000 deal with Lori Greiner.
Wyoming
Overall Stats: 5 deals totaling $1 million.
North Carolina and South Carolina: Small but Growing
North and South Carolina have emerged as dynamic hotbeds for Shark Tank investments, with investors committing millions across a total of 31 deals in the two states.
North Carolina: North Carolina’s expanding entrepreneurial scene has attracted $4.5 million across 22 deals. Sharks like Robert Herjavec and Barbara Corcoran have expressed regular interest in the state, drawn to its robust business incubators and growing tech hubs.
South Carolina: South Carolina has secured 9 deals totaling $2 million. Sharks such as Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner see tremendous potential in the state’s increasingly fertile landscape for small businesses and consumer brands.
Other States with Important Deals
Shark Tank has proven that phenomenal founders and lucrative businesses emerge from all corners of the map. The impressive metrics cited reflect the deep entrepreneurial roots in these states, which consistently produce scalable companies and capture significant capital from the Sharks.Explore the track record for these states in more detail below.
Massachusetts: 21 deals and $5.8 million in funding.
Context: As a major global hub for universities, biotechnology, and robotics, MA-based startups frequently secure high valuations on the show. Notable successful alumni from the area include Cosi and Inirv.
Virginia: 16 deals and $4.1 million in funding.
Context: Companies emerging from the Old Dominion State often bring highly specialized tech, defense-tech spin-offs, and consumer goods.
Tennessee: 14 deals and $3.0 million in funding.
Context: Known for its booming music industry and central logistics hub, the state yields inventive food, beverage, and service companies.
The Sharks’ Investment Patterns by Region
Do Specific Sharks Show a Preference for Certain Regions or Industries?
Shark Tank investors show strong regional and industry preferences based on their distinct backgrounds, focusing on scalability, target-market dynamics, and personal networks. These ties significantly influence regional investment trends and business ecosystems:
Mark Cuban’s Texas Loyalty and Tech-Focused Ventures
Mark Cuban’s $1.25 million handshake deal for 100% ownership of the Texas-based company HyConn (pitched on Shark Tank) famously fell through during due diligence and did not close. Instead of completing the acquisition, the partnership collapsed due to disagreements over licensing and the company’s valuation.Despite this highly publicized transaction not materializing, Cuban’s overarching strategy and local investments reflect his devotion to his home state.
Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John’s New York Connection
Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran’s localized investment strategies on Shark Tank are deeply influenced by their New York roots. With 87 deals totaling $24.5 million, New York ranks second in the show’s overall deal count.
Barbara Corcoran
Background: Built The Corcoran Group from a modest $1,000 investment into a multibillion-dollar empire.
Focus: Frequently backs scalable businesses in food, fashion, and real estate, consistently looking for grit and sales-driven founders.
Daymond John
Background: Grew up in Queens and launched FUBU from his mother’s basement using just $40.
Focus: Leverages his deep local branding network to invest in New York-based fashion, leisure, and culinary ventures.
Deal Example: Highlighted by his investment in Quevos, a Chicago-based egg-white chip company, which he helped scale to national retail shelves following its appearance on Shark Tank.
Lori Greiner’s Focus on California and Consumer Products
The “Queen of QVC,” Lori Greiner, is well-known for her knowledge of consumer products and regularly makes investments in California companies, which account for 31% of all Shark Tank transactions. She is drawn to California’s innovation cluster due to the large number of consumer-focused firms there. Greiner is drawn to goods that have the potential to be popular with the general public, particularly in areas like wellness, domestic solutions, and health and beauty. Her investments in two California-based businesses, Scrub Daddy and Simply Fit Board, demonstrate her preference for straightforward, useful goods that are likely to appeal to a wide range of consumers.
Kevin O’Leary’s Interest in Diverse Midwestern Startups
Kevin O’Leary (known as “Mr. Wonderful”) is an active investor who prioritizes scalable, efficient businesses. While he evaluates companies nationally, his affinity for the Midwest stems from its practical business culture.
Illinois: O’Leary maintains a strong presence here, having backed 44 ventures that exhibit strong financial fundamentals.
Ohio: He has made 35 deals in Ohio, favoring the pragmatic, no-nonsense style of its business owners.
Spotlight:
Wine Balloon: A notable example of his Ohio investments is The Wine Balloon (often known as the Air Cork). Featured on Shark Tank, this practical, cutting-edge device keeps unfinished red wine fresh by inflating a balloon inside the bottle to completely seal off the air.
Robert Herjavec’s Regional Flexibility and Security Investments
Robert Herjavec is a globally recognized cybersecurity expert, serial entrepreneur, and leading investor on ABC’s hit show, SharkTank. While deeply rooted in information security, he embraces a flexible investment strategy, consistently backing ventures with obvious scalability, high market demand, and massive e-commerce potential across regions like Florida and Arizona.
Key Investment Focus Areas
Technology & IT: Herjavec’s background in building IT infrastructure companies (such as Cyderes, formerly the Herjavec Group) heavily influences his portfolio. He continues to mentor and invest in tech startups that scale rapidly and solve pressing digital transformation challenges.
Consumer-Focused & E-commerce: He has a proven track record for identifying consumer brands that can leverage online marketing and mass distribution to explode their sales volume.
Notable Investments
Grace & Lace: Demonstrating his readiness to branch out of tech, Herjavec evaluated the women’s apparel and fashion line, Grace & Lace, on SharkTank. Following their appearance, the brand leveraged its highly scalable e-commerce infrastructure to grow from just over $1 million to more than $19 million in sales.
Tipsy Elves: One of Herjavec’s most successful consumer deals on SharkTank, this novelty apparel company grew from a modest investment into an enterprise driving over $160 million in annual sales.
Daymond John’s Eye for Fashion and Lifestyle Across the South
Daymond John’s investment strategy leverages his fashion roots to back consumer lifestyle and retail brands in the South. In places like Georgia and Florida, he focuses on grassroots marketing and distinctive branding, utilizing the expertise he honed while building his international fashion and lifestyle brand, FUBU.
Investment Focus & Southern Ties:
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG): Daymond frequently seeks out small-batch, local food, and lifestyle companies that have an authentic story and regional appeal, fitting perfectly with his “The Power of Broke” philosophy.
Market Expansion: He leverages the same brand-building and community-focused marketing strategies that he used to take FUBU to over $5 billion in global sales.
Southern Portfolio: Beyond fashion, his Southern deals include functional food and lifestyle companies. A prominent example is his investment in Southern Culture Artisan Foods.
Emerging Preferences in the Western States
Tech, lifestyle, and health firms are starting to thrive in the Western states, especially Arizona and Nevada, which has attracted the attention of Sharks like Cuban and John in recent years. With Cuban and John actively investing in businesses that bring cutting-edge digital and consumer solutions to market, Arizona has seen 19 agreements and Nevada has seen 18. These states are becoming more and more appealing to Sharks who wish to diversify their holdings in areas with unrealized potential as a result of their quickly evolving startup-friendly environments. +3 Western states like Arizona and Nevada have become premier hubs for tech, lifestyle, and health startups, attracting significant venture capital and private equity. This thriving environment has drawn intense interest from high-profile investors like Mark Cuban and Daymond John, who have closed 19 and 18 deals respectively in these regions. The influx of startup capital and the interest of prominent Sharks are driven by several key state-level dynamics:
Proximity and Expansion: The growth of business corridors extending from California has created a highly connected, lower-overhead tech ecosystem.
Startup-Friendly Policy: Both states offer favorable corporate tax structures, streamlined licensing, and strategic innovation zones.
Sector Diversification: Investors are aggressively targeting specialized digital solutions, direct-to-consumer lifestyle brands, and advanced health-tech products.
Final Verdict:
California leads all U.S. states in Shark Tank history with approximately $64 million invested across nearly 200 deals. However, the economic landscape has rapidly decentralized, with hubs in New York, Texas, and Florida producing massive national hits like Scrub Daddy, Cousins Maine Lobster, and Everly Well. The data illustrates how economic opportunity and brilliant concepts are thriving from coast to coast:
California: The undisputed leader, housing major entrepreneurial centers in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Startups here leverage a dense network of venture capital and tech-driven infrastructure.
New York: The East Coast powerhouse, bringing high-fashion, lifestyle, and media-focused concepts into the Tank. Notable NYC-based companies include Vengo.
Texas: Rapidly expanding as a tech and lifestyle hub, with Austin and Dallas leading the charge.
Florida: A major player in the food, beverage, and service sectors, drawing on its unique local markets and diverse demographic hubs.
Nationwide Impact
Diverse Industries: While industries like food and beverage (20%) and fashion/lifestyle (19%) dominate the nationwide distribution, Sharks invest in a wide array of geographic specialties, utilizing local resources.
Deal Success Rates: Over $220+ million has been invested on-screen across 16 seasons, with 56% of presenting companies successfully securing a deal.
Shark Tank” mirrors regional economic shifts, with California dominating. As the show highlights diverse locations and emerging markets across the United States, investor preferences continue to dictate where capital flows, ranging from consumer goods to direct-to-consumer services. Each Shark leverages their unique professional background and network to target specific sectors and geographical regions.
Hey there! I’m Fatima Shoaib, a passionate content writer who believes in creative solutions. Reading enthusiast and storyteller, dedicated and eager to apply my skills to a fast-paced environment and make a positive impact in the industry.Currently focusing on current business projects and goals, I aim to stay passionate about driving results in the business sector. This connection that I felt towards business was because of Shark Talent. I am always exploring to binge into new episodes of Shark Tank. Read more About me.
