A college electronics project turned business venture faced unanimous rejection on Shark Tank season 2 episode 2 in 2010. NYU graduate Matty Sallin pitched Wake'N Bacon, an alarm clock designed to cook bacon 10 minutes before wake-up time, seeking $40,000 for 20% equity at a $200,000 valuation.
The wooden pig-shaped device featured a digital display and heating chamber for pre-cooked bacon strips. When Cuban questioned the sales forecast, Sallin struggled to provide sales projections. Reacting to this, Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary commented,
"At least throughout a forecast say 1.26 million in the first quarter even if you're lying to me, at least that's interesting. You got no projections whatsoever, you got a pig box that's going to catch on fire and kill somebody. I'm gonna be sued into stone age. I'm out but I'll give you 100 bucks for the pig box."
All five Sharks declined to invest, with Mark Cuban suggesting a much higher investment need of $175,000. The product never reached manufacturing stages and remained a prototype.
Bacon-cooking alarm clock creator sought $40k but left Shark Tank without deal
Shark Tank entrepreneur Matty Sallin developed Wake'N Bacon during his Master's program at NYU as part of an electronics assignment. His research included gathering student feedback about morning preferences, which led to the bacon-based alarm concept. The wooden creation housed a digital time display alongside a specialized heating chamber for bacon preparation.
The Shark Tank demonstration highlighted the device's key features, with Sallin explaining the $13 retail price target. He distributed bacon samples prepared by the prototype, generating immediate interest from several Sharks. Daymond John showed enthusiasm after sampling the bacon, while Mark Cuban expressed curiosity about production costs.
However, Wake'N Bacon lacked UL safety approval, a mandatory certification for electrical devices. The Sharks raised multiple concerns about fire risks, particularly regarding bedroom placement.
The operational design required users to load pre-cooked bacon before bedtime, prompting food safety discussions. Questions arose about bacterial growth risks from unrefrigerated meat products. Barbara Corcoran questioned the fundamental concept of combining cooking functions with bedroom electronics, while Robert Herjavec emphasized liability concerns for bedroom cooking appliances.
The pitch derailed further when discussing Wake'N Bacon's business metrics. When asked about market potential, Sallin could not provide any sales projections. Mark Cuban inquired about minimum production costs, to which Sallin stated $10,000 was the lowest possible amount.
The discussion changed when Cuban suggested Sallin actually needed $175,000 instead of his initial $40,000 ask. Despite Sallin's willingness to adjust the investment request to this higher amount, Cuban remained unconvinced. Additionally, the lack of market research and financial projections made the investment risk too high for any of the Sharks to consider.
Final outcomes
The safety concerns combined with missing business metrics resulted in all five Sharks declining to invest. Barbara Corcoran stated the device would only work as a novelty item but doubted anyone would want cooking happening in their bedroom. Robert and Daymond followed with similar decisions. Mark Cuban, while interested in the concept, concluded the project was too early-stage for investment.
After appearing on Shark Tank, Wake'N Bacon never progressed beyond the prototype phase, per Shark Tank Blog. The product did not achieve mass production, and no social media presence or website was established. Sallin moved on to pursue a career in technology. He currently works as a freelance design engineer in Portland, Oregon.
The Wake'N Bacon prototype remained in its early development stage, and no further attempts were made to bring the product to market. The company records show no continued business activity after the Shark Tank appearance.
Shark Tank season 16 is airing on ABC network.