What Happened To The XTorch Solar Powered Flashlight From Shark Tank Season 12?
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Season 12 of Shark Tank featured a number of pitches from innovators touting twists or improvements on products that the world had already seen and accepted, including a portable EV charger and a helmet-mounted brake light for motorcyclists.
Another such item was the X-Torch, a solar-powered flashlight, lantern, and mobile device charger that entrepreneurs Gene and Keidy Palusky presented to the sharks in that season's 22nd episode. Robert Herjavek cautioned Gene and Keidy that their product offered neither low-priced value nor high-end quality. "You can't be in the middle, you're gonna get crushed," he said.
Despite being unimpressed at the X-Torch's lack of marketability, Herjavec made a surprising offer — $400,000 for the entire company. Gene immediately returned a counteroffer of a cool $1 million, citing his solid relationships with charity and non-governmental organizations around the world. Herjavec said that without more promising sales numbers, the best he could do was $500,000, and Gene politely declined. He made one last-ditch attempt to salvage a deal, asking Herjavec for $750,000 after Lori Greiner passed on a chance to invest, but Herjavec responded, "I'm sorry, there's no way I'm going up to that. I'm definitely out."
X-Torch after Shark Tank
Despite not being able to land an investment from the sharks or negotiate a deal with Robert Herjavec for the sale of their company, Gene and Keidy did benefit from their appearance on Shark Tank, receiving about 2,000 orders for the X-Torch shortly after appearing on the show. X-Torch touts its Shark Tank appearance and still sells the device on its website and on Amazon, where the flagship item has a 4.5 average rating from a little more than 200 reviewers.
While the average rating is impressive, the total number of purchasers is less so, making the sharks' reluctance understandable in retrospect. Although X-Torch's website says the company donates 25% of its profits to charity, the investors on Shark Tank are interested in making money for themselves and not for charities. Gene and Keidy seem to have been able to keep their business going and do some good, however, and there is still time to grab an X-Torch if you want one.