popSLATE iPhone Screen Update | Shark Tank Season 7

Yashar Behzadi got the idea for popSLATE while using his phone during daily routines. He realized he was constantly unlocking it just to check simple things like the time, a message, or a boarding pass. That everyday annoyance sparked the idea to turn the unused back of the iPhone into a second screen that stays on and makes those quick glances easier. Let’s see if he managed to secure a deal with any of the sharks in our popSLATE update and pitch recap.

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

Yashar entered Shark Tank Season 7, seeking $500,000 for 5% equity in his iPhone screen accessory. After his pitch, he left without a deal.

In terms of a popSLATE update, the company leveraged its Shark Tank exposure to drive early sales and raised over $1.1 million through crowdfunding for its second product. However, the company faced technical and certification issues with the popSLATE 2, ultimately shutting down in 2016 without delivering products or refunds to backers.

Shark	Result
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Ashton Kutcher	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank popSLATE Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Yashar Behzadi
• Business: Second screen accessory for iPhone
• Ask: $500,000 for 5% equity
• Result: No deal
• Shark: None

Yashar entered Shark Tank Season 7 with a new approach to the back of smartphones, designed for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

He introduced the popSLATE as a smartphone case that adds a second, always-on screen to the back of a phone.

This second screen uses e-paper technology and displays useful information like calendars, messages, boarding passes, and news updates.

It connects to the user’s phone via Bluetooth and pulls data from existing apps.

Yashar explained that this second screen saves time by allowing users to view information without unlocking their phones.

To demonstrate this, he passed out samples featuring photos and quotes customized for each shark.

Guest shark Ashton Kutcher asked how it worked. Yashar said users manage the content on the front screen and sync it to the back.

Yashar shared that popSLATE was sold for $129 and produced for $80. Bulk production would allow him to produce it for $41.

At this point, Lori Greiner was interested in the cost of producing the case for each major type of smartphone.

Each run would have cost around $50,000, which is why Yashar focused on the iPhones first.

When Kevin O’Leary asked how much they had spent so far, Yashar said $1.9 million. He expected to be cash-flow positive by the following July.

However, Lori pointed out the challenge of keeping up with rapidly changing smartphone models, noting that the tooling process would make scaling difficult.

In response, Yashar said the company was currently focused on Apple and iOS devices to keep development more manageable.

Still, Robert Herjavec liked the design but felt wearables served the same purpose more efficiently. Mark said the lock screen was a stronger competitor than wearables.

Kevin called the accessory market a land grab and didn’t think the reward justified the risk.

Lori praised the growing phone case market but saw inventory and tooling costs as a major challenge.

Ashton liked the software’s potential but didn’t want to deal with Apple dependency or high pricing.

Ultimately, all five sharks passed on the deal. Yashar left without funding but remained confident in his product.

What do you think happened after his appearance on the show? Keep reading our popSLATE update to find out.

Shark Tank popSLATE Update

Our popSLATE update found that despite not landing a deal, the Shark Tank exposure helped boost sales. Models for the iPhone 6 and 6S quickly sold out on their website.

In March 2016, the company launched popSLATE 2 through Indiegogo. They raised over $1.1 million in crowdfunding. But production issues soon followed.

The release of the iPhone 7 required design changes. More critically, the popSLATE 2 failed Apple’s certification due to signal interference caused by the materials used.

Research for our popSLATE update found that the company shut down in December 2016. Further, backers never received the product or refunds.

Yashar later moved on to launch a new venture, Synthesis AI, which focuses on synthetic data technology.

This will be our final popSLATE update.

Are you interested in checking out the other products featured in Season 7 Episode 24? Read our other company updates for the episode in the links below. 

• Petnostics Update
• Frends Update
• Slyde Handboards Update

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