A serial entrepreneur from Bengaluru stepped into the Shark Tank India pitch room with high hopes for his 3D interior design platform, SuperBolter. Arvind, the founder, aimed to revolutionize the way young homeowners design their interiors by allowing them to create their own layouts through an easy-to-use 3D platform. He envisioned a space where users could eventually purchase third-party products to furnish their dream homes. Despite the grand vision, Arvind admitted that the platform had yet to generate any revenue, even after five years of effort.
Seeking Rs 75 lakh for just 0.5% equity, he placed a staggering Rs 150 crore valuation on his business. He shared that he had already raised Rs 2.7 crore from friends and family, but the funds were now completely depleted. Kunal Bahl was quick to react, asking, “So, you’re out of money?” to which Arvind simply agreed.
Vineeta Singh questioned if Arvind had even achieved product-market fit. She expressed concern that five years of work without revenue suggested there was no real demand. She bluntly pointed out that he might need to accept that his idea had no customers. Arvind countered by stating that the platform had 300 daily users, but this claim only aggravated Anupam Mittal.
“You’re wasting your time, learning lessons others learnt five years ago,” Anupam remarked, criticizing Arvind for not recognizing the failure of similar companies in the past. He believed that the founder should have realized much earlier that his idea wasn’t viable instead of continuously pouring money into it.
Peyush Bansal, though unwilling to invest, complimented the platform’s potential, saying it was well-built. However, this statement didn’t sit well with Anupam, who immediately asked, “Have you even used it?” dismissing Peyush’s praise with a scoff.
Anupam continued to press Arvind, making his stance even clearer. “I’m very perplexed. What growth are you talking about? You have 300 users. You are out of touch with reality,” he said, his frustration evident. He found it baffling that someone with experience in the industry was still struggling to find direction. “I tried asking you a few questions because you’ve been a part of the industry. I’d understand if a rookie was floundering, because they don’t know what they’re doing. Your business hasn’t taken off in five years, and yet you’re injecting more money into it. You’re barely staying afloat, and you keep inflating your valuation. This is a classic case of being out of touch with reality. I advise you to reflect very deeply. You need to do something very drastic here.”
After hearing Anupam’s harsh critique, Vineeta, Peyush, and Kunal also decided not to invest. The last to speak was Aman Gupta, who decided to offer some parting words of advice instead of a deal. He referenced a well-known Hollywood film and told Arvind, “Have you seen the movie The Pursuit of Happyness? He keeps going from one place to another with a box, but ultimately takes a job somewhere. You should do the same thing.”
Arvind left the pitch without securing a deal. Despite the disappointment, he maintained that he appreciated the insights he received from the Sharks. Though his pitch ended in rejection, the reality check from seasoned investors might lead him to reconsider his next move.