At the time of her "Shark Tank" debut, creator Ivori Tennelle had only sold 100 of her Swilts at a $29.95 price point. Though a small amount, she'd accomplished this on her own by working the local flea markets and conducting in-person sales. The business owner valued her company at $85,714.29 and was confident that following the show's 2012 air date an influx of new customers would flock to the brand.
While admirable, the panel of Sharks was concerned with the lack of revenue Tennelle was able to bring in independently. One reason for the low profits could have been her product's close proximity to the Snuggie model, which dominated the market for wearable blankets, as explained by Shark Lori Greiner, who actually helped launch the successful product.
Additionally, investor Mark Cuban, who happens to have one of the highest net worths of all the Sharks, raised concerns about the safety of the Swilt. He pointed out that the tucked blanket could cause people to trip over it if they attempted to walk while it is rolled down. Cuban also felt that the overall design was outdated. In the end, none of the Sharks felt comfortable investing in such an unstable creation.
