How to apply for ‘Shark Tank’ season 17 in Philly, and 5 success stories to inspire your pitch

Shark Tank is coming to Philadelphia, and your company could be the next local startup to walk away with a deal. 

The hit show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of investors, or “sharks,” is hosting an open casting call in Philly on April 11 for season 17 at the Event Center at Rivers Philadelphia. Founders will have the opportunity to give a one-minute pitch about their company or idea to a casting team. 

Whether a company walks away with a deal or not, it could be trajectory-changing. Local startups featured on Shark Tank have gone on to start additional companies and get acquired.  

The casting call is open to the general public. The line to participate will start at 8 a.m. and wristbands to participate will be handed out between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Interviews will begin at 10 a.m. Anyone who receives a wristband will have the opportunity to pitch. 

Interested parties should also fill out an application ahead of time and bring it with them to the open call. The application requires information about the business, the team and what kind of investment they are looking for. 

Philly companies have raked in thousands from the show

The last time Shark Tank hosted a casting call in Philly was in 2017. However, Philly companies have made appearances on the show since it got its start in 2009, some walking away with investments from the sharks.  

Here are five Shark Tank success stories out of Philly.

Most recently, ChompShop, which makes a kid-safe cardboard cutting tool, went on the show in November. Founders Kausi Raman and Max Liechty, graduates from the University of Pennsylvania, were offered $250,000 for a 20% stake in the company by sharks Kevin O’Leary and Barbara Corcoran. Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner also offered a $250,000 investment for a 15% stake, reported the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

Simply Good Jars, a health food startup that launched a line of “smart fridges” in 2018, appeared on Shark Tank in 2021. The company ended up striking a deal with Cuban and Greiner for $500,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in the company.

That year featured another local deal, too. Founder Philomina Kane pitched her company KIN Apparel, a line of satin-lined hoodies, on the show in 2021. She agreed to $200,000 in exchange for a 30% stake in the company from Greiner and guest judge Emma Grede, CEO and cofounder of the clothing company Good American. 

Years prior, Christopher Gray, founder of scholarship app Scholly, got a $40,000 investment for a 15 percent stake when he was on the show in 2015 led by Greiner and Daymond John. In 2023, lender Sallie Mae acquired the startup for an undisclosed amount.

Also, Piperwai, a charcoal-based natural deodorant, was on Shark Tank in 2015 and saw consistent growth after the TV appearance and receiving $50,000 from Corcoran, according to founders Jess Edelstein and Sarah Ribner. Almost a decade later in October 2024, Edelstein launched a new company selling a supplement for people with lactose intolerance, Got Moops.

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