BearTek Smart Glove Update | Shark Tank Season 7

Willie Blount was riding his motorcycle when he realized he couldn’t change his music without taking his hands off the handlebars. At the same time, Tarik Rodgers was skiing and had to remove his gloves to use his phone and camera, leaving his hands cold. To fix this, they created BearTek, a glove with Bluetooth sensors that connects to devices and lets users control them by tapping their fingers together. Will the sharks invest in this business? Let’s find out in our BearTek update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to BearTek after Shark Tank.

Willie and Tarik entered Shark Tank Season 7, seeking $500,000 for 5% equity in their Bluetooth smart gloves. After their pitch, they left without a deal.

In terms of a BearTek update, the company successfully raised $60,000 through an Indiegogo campaign, but later refunded all backers, citing the need for strategic partnerships. By May 2019, the company’s website went offline, indicating potential business struggles. However, its gloves are still available for purchase on Amazon.

Shark	Result
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Daymond John	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank BearTek Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Willie Blount and Tarik Rodgers
• Business: Bluetooth smart gloves for controlling devices
• Ask: $500,000 for 5% equity
• Result: No deal
• Sharks: None

Willie and Tarik stepped into Shark Tank fully geared up. Tarik wore ski equipment, and Willie carried a helmet, immediately setting the stage for their pitch.

They introduced BearTek, a company that developed gloves with built-in technology to control devices hands-free.

These gloves, designed for motorcyclists and skiers, allowed users to change music, answer calls, and control other functions without removing their hands from their equipment.

They asked for an investment, valuing the company at $10 million. The sharks immediately reacted, questioning such a high valuation.

However, Tarik continued the pitch, demonstrating how the gloves worked. With a simple tap of his fingers, he changed music tracks and adjusted the volume.

While the sharks acknowledged the technology was impressive, they were still hesitant about the price.

Willie jumped in, emphasizing that the gloves were just the start. They envisioned expanding beyond gloves and applying the technology to other wearable products.

Tarik revealed they had sold $200,000 worth of products in the last 15 months. While the sharks saw this as progress, Robert Herjavec questioned how such numbers could support their $10 million valuation.

At this point, Robert wanted to know exactly how much Tarik had invested. When Tarik admitted to putting in $500,000 of his own money, the sharks took notice.

However, it didn’t resolve their concerns over the valuation.

Robert pressed further, asking why BearTek was worth $10 million. Tarik responded by explaining that military organizations had shown interest in their technology, which could lead to large-scale sales.

Kevin O’Leary, sensing where things were heading, bluntly predicted that he feared they were not going to get a deal.

Tarik attempted to justify the valuation by highlighting the gloves’ potential for mass adoption.

However, Kevin interrupted, pointing out that other hands-free devices, like voice-activated helmet communicators, were already on the market.

Willie countered that while voice control had improved, it was still unreliable at times. He argued that BearTek offered a more consistent and user-friendly alternative.

Kevin agreed that the gloves could be useful, but he believed the market had already moved past them. Not willing to take the risk, he dropped out.

Mark Cuban saw the potential, but he believed the valuation made the investment too risky. Therefore, he also dropped out.

Daymond John acknowledged that the gloves had merit, but he couldn’t justify the high valuation either. He walked away without making an offer.

Robert saw no clear path for the company beyond gloves, which limited its growth potential. Since they failed to show how the business would expand, he decided he was out as well.

That left Lori Greiner as the only remaining shark. Willie made one final effort to sway her, explaining that BearTek was about the technology, not just the gloves.

Lori agreed that the product had potential, but she wasn’t convinced they had identified their true market. With too many uncertainties, she ultimately dropped out.

Willie and Tarik left without the investment they had hoped for. How is the company doing now? Find out in our BearTek update.

Shark Tank BearTek Update

Our BearTek update found that the company continued operations and launched an Indiegogo campaign, raising $60,000.

However, they later refunded all backers, stating they needed strategic partnerships to move forward.

In May 2019, BearTek’s official website went offline, suggesting possible business struggles.

However, as of 2024, their gloves are still available for purchase on Amazon. We are not sure if the business is still in business but if we get another  BearTek update  we will let you know.

But what about the other companies featured in Season 7 Episode 16? You can find our company updates for those products here.

• R. Riveter Update
• Major Mom Update
• Combat Flip Flops Update

Before you go, be sure to stop by our Season 7 Products Page for more on companies and products.