"I have zero experience": When Shark Tank guest investor Ashton Kutcher requested a partner during Slyde Handboards pitch

Shark Tank Season 7 Episode 24 aired on April 15, 2016, featuring Steve Watts and Angela Ferendo. The couple's product was wave-riding boards called Slyde Handboards. They can be worn while bodysurfing.

During the episode, the present sharks were Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, and Mark Cuban, and the guest Shark was Ashton Kutcher.

He was interested in investing in the product and asked the Sharks to help him. He requested for a partner:

"This is so not my space. I'm from Iowa. I'm like a farm kid, alright? I have zero experience in getting things like this to market. So, I would need a partner."

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Shark Tank Season 7: Guest Shark Ashton Kutcher and Mark Cuban invested in Slyde Handboards

During the seventh season's Episode 24, Steve Watts and Angela Ferendo pitched their product, Slyde Handboards. During their pitch, Steve talked about various types of surfboards and how he had seen people using frisbees, flip-flops, and broken surfboards in the ocean.

He then described how Slyde Handboards are used in both hands while surfboarding. Initially, Steve started it from his garage in Venice, California 2010. Later, he and his wife worked on it since 2013 and got funding for their new product, the Slyde Phish, from Kickstarter in 2014.

The product, Slyde Handboards, is for body surfing, and they can be, as their name suggests, worn on hands while surfing. Steve described it as a:

"Combination of a surfboard and a snowboard."

Despite Sharks being impressed with the pitch and the unique product, Lori Greiner stated that she was not the "right partner" for the investment.

Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary mentioned that since they were at the beginning of their "distribution journey," he was also out. However, Guest Shark Ashton Kutcher showed interest in the product.

Along with him, Mark Cuban was also interested. After the guest Shark asked for a partner, since he had "zero experience," he and Mark jointly offered a deal. It was for 25% equity for a $200,000 investment.

Initially, Angela disagreed as she wanted to give away only 20% of the company, but Mark asked for a negotiation. He asked:

"It's not about 5%. You're getting Tower Paddleboards, you're getting me, and you're getting Ashton and you're arguing about 5%?"

Robert was also in discussion; however, the couple finalized their deal with 22% offered by Mark Cuban and Ashton Kutcher.

During Shark Tank Season 10 Episode 3, the couple pitched their newest product, Slyde Grom, a soft board. After that, the company made $2-$2.5 million in sales in 2023.

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Fans can stream current Shark Tank Season 16 episodes on ABC on Fridays at 8.