What Happened To Pluto Pillow After Shark Tank?
The Pluto Pillow made its way onto the "Shark Tank" stage for Season 12, Episode 24, which aired in May 2021. The product is a customizable pillow that is created with your specific needs in mind to get you a great night's sleep. According to the company's About Us page, each customer fills out a questionnaire on their sleeping habits and personal preferences, and then their pillow is made-to-order based on variations in thickness, firmness, and more. "Our goal is to build the world's most loved sleep and comfort brand — and we're starting with custom-creating sleep pillows at scale," the page reads.
The company's founders, Susana Saeliu and Kevin Li, appeared on "Shark Tank" to pitch the product and asked for an investment of $400,000 with a 5% equity stake. The sharks were impressed with the sales numbers, but four of them declined to invest due to the costs associated with creating each pillow and other concerns. However, shark Robert Herjavec — who you also may know from Dancing With the Stars — offered a $400,000 investment, matching what Saeliu and Li were looking for. The twist? Herjavec wanted 20% equity in the company instead of 5%. Saeliu and Li tried to get him to drop it to 9% or 10%, but when he would not, they stepped away.
Pluto is doing well since their stint on TV
Despite the fact that they did not take Robert Herjavec's deal, Pluto has other investors helping them out. Regarding their appearance on "Shark Tank," the Pluto Pillow team said, "It was a dream come true to talk about our company to such great business people and veterans of commerce, and to get our idea and product in front of a national audience. Plus, they really believed in us as people, and that's about as good as any offer we would've taken" (via Pluto Pillow).
Pluto Pillows have continued to be a success since their "Shark Tank" episode was aired. Unlike the "Shark Tank" keto pill scam, legitimate positive reviews of the pillows have been published in outlets such as Well + Good, Healthline, Men's Health, and more. As of June 2023, their website has over 2,000 reviews. Of those, over 1,800 are five-star reviews, giving them a total score of 4.81 out of five stars. One customer described that using their new Pluto Pillow helped alleviate neck pain, and another raved about the great customer service from Pluto when they needed to replace the inner foam core of their new pillow. So, it seems like they're keeping the customers and reviewers happy.
Pluto has added new products to their rotation
Pluto Pillows currently cost $125 or $155, depending on the size you choose (24 x 16 inches or 34 x 16 inches). The company has also expanded since they appeared on "Shark Tank" and no longer sell only regular-sized pillows for your head. They also now sell the PUFF body pillow at $110, the wearable POD travel pillow at $145, and pillowcases that are meant to mimic the feel of silk without the environmental impact of real silk at $25 to $35, depending on size. The company also has implemented a 125-night trial, so if you are unhappy with your Pluto Pillow, PUFF, or POD, you can send it back before the trial is done for a full refund. The pillows have a one-year warranty as well.
The company's current net worth is approximately $8 million (via Techie + Gamers). The Pluto Pillow Instagram page currently has more than 16,300 followers and their TikTok has more than 900 followers, where they often post funny videos about sleeping (or not sleeping when you're supposed to) featuring the Pluto products. Overall, it seems down turning down an offer on "Shark Tank" hasn't hurt their business.