What happened to Pepper Pong on Shark Tank season 16 episode 6?

Shark Tank season 16 episode 6 aired on November 23, 2024, on ABC. The episode featured four products: Pepper Pong, Taverns-To-Go, Kaans Designs, and FOAM.

Tom Filippini opened the episode with his pitch for Pepper Pong, a portable ping pong game designed for easy transport and play anywhere. The set includes two paddles, a foldable net, and three balls with varying difficulty levels, making it versatile and fun for players of all skill levels.

The founder closed a deal with guest shark Todd Graves, who offered an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 19% equity.

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Pepper Pong: From Shark Tank pitch to deal with Todd Graves

What is Pepper Pong?

Tom Filippini appeared on Shark Tank season 16 episode 6 to pitch a portable version of table tennis called Pepper Pong. He sought $150,000 for a 10% stake in his company.

In his Shark Tank pitch, Tom talked about the age-old game ping pong and called them "crusty." To spice things up, he created Pepper Pong, a brand new game for all ages that could be set up anywhere.

"Pepper Pong ditches the need for a dedicated table. Any reasonably flat surface including the floor, becomes a battleground. Our fence expands to fit any surface and sets up in seconds. No flimsy clamps. But the real spice is in the peppers. Three unique balls designed to be adaptable to any surface and making pepper Pong easy to learn but very difficult to master," Tom pitched.

The game introduced three balls with their respective difficulty. The low-bounce jalapeno ball was "great for beginners and small tables." The medium-bounce habanero ball was an "all-around favorite for all table sizes and all skill levels." Finally, the ghost pepper ball was intended for "intense rallies on larger tables."

"Pepper Pong is whisper-quiet and furniture friendly so even mom will be playing ball in the house," Tom added.

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Sales and cost

The Shark Tank contestant revealed that each Pepper Pong set is priced at $99.99 under regular circumstances and drops to $69.99 during sales. He further disclosed that his business has generated over $260,000 in sales over the past few years.

However, with a production cost of $60 per set, he only earns a profit margin of $10 per unit during sales.

Tom shared that he is a successful businessman who invested his own $500K into the Pepper Pong venture, making it a personal project for him. He needed investment from the Sharks to add more molds to his manufacturing lineup.

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Tom closes a deal with Todd Graves

Lori Greiner appreciated the concept but felt it wasn’t the right fit for her and decided to opt out. Kevin O'Leary initially expressed interest; however, after learning there would be no royalties involved, he also chose to pass on the product.

Mark Cuban joined the other sharks in opting out, believing that Tom should focus solely on his business instead of looking for investors.

Daymond John told the contestant that he would help him and offered $150K for a 30% equity stake in the company. While the founder thought that it would be a good help, he explained that he wasn’t focusing on retail expansion at the moment, prompting Daymond to withdraw his offer.

Guest shark Todd Graves chimed in and offered $150K for a 25% equity stake. He stated that he was a social media marketing expert and could help promote the product.

Tom negotiated for a 17.5% equity stake, while Todd reduced his initial ask to 20%. After further discussions, both parties ultimately agreed on an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 19% equity.

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Shark Tank season 16 episodes air every Friday on ABC.