Shark Tank India Judges Call Out Teen Founder For Delivering The ‘Most Disappointing Pitch’ – News18

Last Updated:February 18, 2025, 17:44 IST

The young entrepreneur introduced Memotag, a caregiving solution inspired by his grandfather’s struggles with dementia.

Some pitches make waves and some sink on Shark Tank India. For 18-year-old Reyansh, his shot at impressing the Sharks turned into a lesson in brutal honesty. The young entrepreneur introduced Memotag, a caregiving solution inspired by his grandfather’s struggles with dementia. His vision? A smart tag that could track behaviour patterns, alert family members in case of a fall and even create geo-fencing to prevent patients from wandering off. In theory, it was a game-changing idea—one that he believed was worth Rs 10 crore, asking for Rs 50 lakh in exchange for 5% equity.

But here’s where things took a turn. Instead of a functional prototype, Reyansh presented the Sharks with an empty box and a tag that, well… didn’t actually work. He admitted the product was still in the concept stage and couldn’t be demonstrated. The Sharks’ initial curiosity quickly turned to disappointment.

Anupam Mittal, known for his sharp wit, couldn’t help saying, “The only thing working is Reyansh.” Meanwhile, Namita Thapar, usually receptive to healthcare innovations, advised him to refine the product before seeking investment. Reyansh attempted to salvage his pitch by claiming orders worth Rs 5 crore, but Anupam wasn’t buying it.

A quick probe revealed that no money had actually exchanged hands. “That’s not how it works,” Anupam pointed out, before delivering a hard truth. “I think your biggest problem is the approach that you’ve taken. You said that your product can do everything, that isn’t the path to disruption, that’s the path to a slow and painful death. I don’t wish that upon you. But I’m out,” he said.

As Kunal Bahl and Ritesh Agarwal also declined to invest, urging Reyansh to be more prepared, it was Vineeta Singh who delivered the most stinging critique. Despite his young age, she didn’t sugarcoat her feedback.

“I’ve seen seven or eight campus pitches, but I’m sorry to say, this was the most disappointing. The fact that your product is at zero, and you’re cooking up so many stories around it to cover it up, makes it very difficult to trust you as a founder. You’ve made a beautiful box with great branding, but it doesn’t have a product inside. It’s a big no,” she said.

The pitcher, Reyansh, left without a deal, but with a harsh reality check from the sharks instead on the latest episode.