Poplight Renter Friendly Lighting Update | Shark Tank Season 15

Caroline Matthes and Rose Fierman needed lights next to their bed but didn’t want to hire an electrician or drill into the wall. So they came up with Poplight, a battery-powered wall light that sticks on with tape. It’s easy to use, great for renters, and doesn’t need any tools to set up. Will they walk away with an easy deal? Find out in our Poplight update and pitch recap!

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

Caroline and Rose entered Shark Tank Season 15, seeking $150,000 for 8% equity in their lighting solution. After their pitch, they left with a deal from Kevin O’Leary for $150,000 for 8% equity and a $2 per unit royalty until $500,000 is repaid, and then it drops to $1 per unit in perpetuity.

In terms of a Poplight update, the company reported a 1,500% spike in orders after their Shark Tank appearance and used that momentum to scale production.

Shark:	Result:
Kevin O’Leary	Accepted deal for $150,000 for 8% equity, plus $2 per unit royalty $500,000 is made back. Then, the royalty drops to $1 per unit, in perpetuity
Barbara Corcoran	$100,000 as cash, plus $50,000 as a line of credit. Plus a $12 per unit royalty in perpetuity
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank’s Poplight Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Caroline Matthes and Rose Fierman
• Business: Renter-friendly lighting
• Ask: $150,000 for 8% equity
• Result: $150,000 for 8% equity, plus $2/unit royalty until $500,000 is made back. Then $1/unit royalty in perpetuity
• Shark: Kevin O’Leary

Caroline and Rose knew firsthand how frustrating it can be to install lighting. The tools, the wiring, the wall damage—it’s a lot.

That’s why they created Poplight, a battery-powered wall sconce that sticks directly to the wall using double-sided adhesive. No drills, no screws, no damage.

The base comes with a built-in level to help mount it straight. Once placed, the light clicks into the base and is ready to use.

The light runs on a rechargeable USB battery. It turns on with a tap and can be dimmed manually or controlled through an app.

Through the app, users can adjust the brightness and turn the light on or off remotely.

The sharks examined the product. Mark Cuban asked what happens to the wall when the tape is removed. They said it leaves no damage.

At the time of filming, the ladies shared that the version shown was still a prototype. This was their first production round, and the business was still in the early stages.

Poplight costs $30 to produce and will retail for $95 per piece. That gives them a 68% profit margin. They had tested different price points and found that starting higher and offering discounts worked best.

Barbara Corcoran asked about the battery life. Caroline and Rose explained that the battery charges in four hours and lasts five to nine hours, depending on how bright the light is.

Users can also leave it plugged in while using it, which helps avoid battery concerns.

Lori Greiner asked if there were any similar products. According to the entrepreneurs, no product currently on the market offers the same combination of features.

They’ve secured one design patent and have two others pending. One is for the adhesive mounting base. The other protects its unique twist-on mechanism.

In terms of sales, they ran a Kickstarter campaign earlier in the year. It raised over $170,000 in four weeks. Impressively, they hit their initial goal within the first 20 minutes.

However, they hadn’t shipped any units yet. This includes about $5,000 in sales that have recently come in through their new website.

Both founders still work full-time jobs. Rose works in tech and has a strong background in data. Caroline is a licensed clinical social worker who enjoys problem-solving and design.

Kevin O’Leary made the first offer. He offered $150,000 for 8% equity, plus a $2 per unit royalty until he makes back $500,000. Then, the royalty drops to $1 in perpetuity.

Barbara countered with $150,000 for no equity and a $20 royalty per unit, also in perpetuity. Kevin called it a brutal deal.

Robert Herjavec bowed out but encouraged Caroline and Rose to consider Kevin’s offer.

Lori and Mark also passed due to concerns about the market and product stage.

Trying to find a middle ground, the ladies countered Barbara for a $12 per unit royalty.

Barbara offered to restructure her deal to $100,000 in cash, with $50,000 as a credit line and a $12 royalty.

The founders turned back to Kevin and asked if he would lower his royalty goal to $350,000 instead of $500,000. Kevin declined.

In the end, they accepted Kevin’s original offer and walked away with a deal.

With a deal in hand, let’s get a Poplight update to see how Caroline and Rose are doing.

Shark Tank Poplight Update

We reached out to Caroline and Rose for our Poplight update, and they were kind enough to interview with us!

“It’s so inspiring to see entrepreneurs share who they are and what they’re doing,” Rose told us. “Shark Tank reached out to us and we felt like we couldn’t say no,” Caroline added.

After the episode aired, Caroline told us that Poplight experienced a 1,500% increase in orders! “We’ve also been able to connect with a much broader community of people across our social channel,” Rose added.

Although the deal with Kevin hasn’t closed yet, Rose and Caroline are hopeful that it will be finalized.

“Because of the rush that comes with your air date, we’ve had to just focus on operations, but we are still working with Kevin to get our deal through,” Caroline and Rose told us.

At the time of this writing, according to our Poplight update, we found that the deal with Kevin O’Leary had still not closed.

In a September 2024 podcast interview, they confirmed that the paperwork was still being finalized.

Between May and July 2024, all Kickstarter pre-orders were successfully shipped. The company then transitioned to selling directly through its website.

Poplight launched bundle deals and expanded their product line with new color options like Dusty Rose, Sage Green, and Mushroom Neutral.

To handle the demand, Poplight hired new team members in logistics, customer support, warehouse work, and marketing.

They also launched a referral program called “Popstars,” giving customers 10% commission for bringing in new buyers.

If you need renter-friendly, easy-to-install wall lighting, you can purchase it directly from their official website. You can also check out their latest designs and community updates on Instagram.

When next we hear from Caroline and Rose, we will let you know in our next Poplight update.

Before you go, check out our other company updates from Season 15 Episode 11 by following the links below!

• The Table Tyke Update
• Like Air Puffcorn Update
• The Duo Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 15 products.