Lovepop Cards Update | Shark Tank Season 7

While working on a school project in Vietnam, Wombi Rose and John Wise saw beautiful paper sculptures that were far more detailed than regular greeting cards. Most cards felt plain and forgettable, so they decided to create something better. They came up with Lovepop, a line of 3D pop-up greeting cards designed to be more personal and meaningful. People loved them, and after raising money through Kickstarter, the business took off. Will they get a deal? Let’s find out in our Lovepop update and pitch recap.

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

John and Wombi entered Shark Tank Season 7, seeking $300,000 for 10% equity in their pop-up greeting cards business. After their pitch, they made a deal with Kevin O’Leary for $300,000 for 15% equity.

In terms of a Lovepop update, the company experienced an immediate sales surge, reaching over $1.2 million in revenue within a month of its Shark Tank appearance. Further, Lovepop used strategic investments, raising $22.5 million by 2019, to expand into physical retail locations and scale production.

Shark	Result
Kevin O’Leary	Accepted offer of $300,000 for 15% equity
Robert Herjavec	$300,000 for 15% equity
Barbara Corcoran	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank Lovepop Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: John Wise and Wombi Rose
• Business: Pop-up greeting cards
• Ask: $300,000 for 10% equity
• Result: $300,000 for 15% equity
• Shark: Kevin O’Leary

Wombi and John entered Shark Tank looking for an investment in their company, Lovepop.

They introduced their business as a creator of 3D pop-up greeting cards designed to make connections more meaningful.

Traditional greeting cards often felt generic, failing to capture real emotions. Lovepop aimed to change that with intricate, artistic designs that stood out.

Instead of focusing only on online sales, Lovepop set up mall kiosks. This gave customers a chance to see and feel the cards before buying.

Each kiosk made around $240,000 per year, proving the strategy was working.

After purchasing in person, many customers returned to the Lovepop website to explore more designs or use services like handwritten messages and direct shipping.

The business model impressed the sharks, but it also raised concerns.

Barbara Corcoran felt they were trying to grow too fast by splitting focus between kiosks and online sales. She decided not to invest.

Mark Cuban had similar worries. He saw mall kiosks as a risky long-term strategy due to unpredictable real estate costs, so he also passed.

Kevin O’Leary, however, saw potential. Since he had already invested in several romance-related businesses, he believed Lovepop would be a great fit for his Something Wonderful platform.

But before making an offer, he wanted to know if they could handle large-scale demand. He asked if they could fulfill 3,000 orders per month, worried they might struggle to keep up.

Wombi and John assured him they were prepared. Their overseas production facility could produce over 20,000 cards per month, proving they were ready to scale.

At the time of the pitch, Lovepop had $300,000 in total sales, showing strong demand.

Robert Herjavec liked the product but wasn’t sure if they could grow fast enough. He offered $300,000 for 20% equity.

Kevin, not wanting to lose the deal, matched Robert’s offer but highlighted his advantage—his wedding industry connections.

Wombi and John countered with their original ask: $300,000 for 10% equity. But both sharks held firm at 15% equity.

After a quick discussion, the entrepreneurs saw the value in Kevin’s offer. His experience in the wedding market aligned with their goals, making him the best partner.

They accepted his deal.

Let’s see how the business is doing now in our Lovepop update.

Shark Tank Lovepop Update

Our Lovepop update found that the deal with Kevin closed successfully. Further, shortly after its episode’s airing, Lovepop’s sales surged.

In December 2015 alone, they sold over 100,000 cards, generating between $800,000 and $1.2 million in revenue. This was a substantial increase from their previous 18-month total sales of $300,000.

Consequently, to meet the growing demand, the company expanded its production capabilities and increased staffing.

Furthermore, they also enhanced their website infrastructure to handle the influx of online orders.

Lovepop attracted additional investments to fuel its expansion. By 2019, the company had raised at least $22.5 million in funding.

These funds supported the opening of retail locations in California, Florida, and Boston. By mid-2022, Lovepop’s annual revenue exceeded $150 million.

The brand also gained national exposure when Wombi Rose and John Wise appeared on The View, wowing audiences with their unique designs.

Additionally, the company expanded its product line to include pop culture-themed cards, featuring designs from franchises like “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars,” and “Ted Lasso.” 

They also collaborated with other companies within Kevin O’Leary’s “Something Wonderful” platform for cross-promotional campaigns.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lovepop adapted its production facilities to manufacture face shields, contributing to public health efforts.

In 2024, Lovepop initiated legal actions against competitors Poplife, LLC, and Paper Love, LLC, alleging patent, copyright, and trademark infringements related to their 3D card designs.

Customers can find Lovepop cards on Amazon and the Lovepop website.

We’re calling this Lovepop update a success.

Don’t forget to stop by our other company update pages for Season 7 Episode 11. You can find them here:

• Geek My Tree Update
• BeardHead Update
• PiperWai Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 7 products.