8 brands from Shark Tank worth checking out
We go from hot chocolate mixes to cocktail mixes in this one.
Hello! 👋
Welcome to Over a Coffee, where I recommend Indian lifestyle brands or share my conversations with their founders. Occasionally, I'll also dissect their marketing strategies. But today, I keep it simple.
Shark Tank is my favourite dinner-time watch, and while Sony Liv is making the experience terrible for most viewers, I still endure it. I've tried (still trying) some of the brands that appeared in season 3, and that's what this post is about. 👇
Tiggle
I love hot chocolate and have tried several Indian brands, but nobody can beat Tiggle. I squealed in joy when I saw Anuva Kakkar, the founder of Tiggle, on Shark Tank. She started her journey by selling hot chocolate outside a Delhi metro station after her work hours. The brand sources its cocoa from Tamil Nadu farms, and I love their hazelnut and coffee-infused hot chocolate. Plus, they’ve just launched a dark iced chocolate I'm about to order.
Conscious Chemist
Another brand that I've loved for a long time! Conscious Chemist is a skincare brand, and as the name suggests, they formulate a science-backed skincare range with consciousness. So, yes, you'll find chemicals in their products, but they're cruelty-free and safe chemicals. Their products contain all the usual suspects, such as actives, ceramides, and peptides, which makes their moisturisers pretty good. Two products I love going back to: Multi-Hyaluronic Gel Cream and Eye Contour Treatment, but if I'm being honest, I tend to shop quite a bit from them because of their transparency and packaging.Â
P.S. Their face masks are not quite as effective as their other products, and I'd never recommend them.
Gulabo Jaipur
It's incredible how Gulabo Jaipur does both festive and everyday clothes so well! Whether you love minimalistic pieces, bright solids, or prints, this label has something for everyone and every mood. Block prints and bandhej are obviously their most popular prints, but they also make beautiful organza and gota patti clothing that are perfect for festive wear. This label also makes home decor and jewellery (limited pieces), but I hope they introduce more jewellery and accessories.
Without (by Ashaya)
I came across Without on LinkedIn in 2023, right after they dropped a video of their sunglasses crafted from recycled snack packets. I pre-ordered their sunglasses immediately and honestly couldn't wait to get my hands on them. And, it did arrive a few months later in a plastic-free packaging, and thought: how cool! How cool is that this pair is crafted from a bag of chips!
Founded by Anish Malpani, Without is a social sustainability startup that produces its eyewear and accessories using 100 per cent recycled plastic. It works with Indian waste pickers to enhance their livelihood and working and living conditions. The brand intends to introduce more products in the future.
Bartisans
Bartisans' social media game is 🔥!
A mother-son duo from Goa floated this cocktail mix brand during the pandemic, starting with delivering DIY cocktail mix kits. They make house parties pretty killer, even for teetotallers (of course, you can use them for mocktails). They've got delicious flavours like jamun, tamarind, and orange and The Goa Plan (pineapple, cashew, and cinnamon). Plus, the bottles are so gorgeous.
Blix
Even before Blix finished its pitch on Shark Tank, I ordered their squeaky toy called Queaky. It's a circuit toy that makes a squeaking noise when a circuit loop is closed, and if you can make music, you can play it, too. While the toy isn't as seamless and good as it sounds on Shark Tank, it's a fun piece for kids and adults. By now, you would've gathered that it's a STEAM toy company that imparts creativity and cognitive skills. They also have robotics, spare parts, and STEM toys, and host an event called Blixathon for kids to build something.
If you’ve been meaning to check out brands like this, give this a try?
Daakroom
Bringing back the good old letter writing and the act of writing, Daakroom hosts a Letter Writing Carnival. They host smaller workshops and events to encourage the art. Launched in 2015, Daakroom has enabled around 8,00,000+ handwritten letters so far. If you love postcards, you'll find plenty of options; their classic letter-writing kit is on my wish list. I hope they launch stationery soon because that would be the perfect extension to what they do.
So, those were my top 8 picks from Shark Tank Season 3. Have you been watching this season and which brands have you tried?
I'm still binging shark tank and in your article Daakroom caught my attention, as someone who is a stationary buff and loves paper in every shape and form they are doing something incredible.