Charlotte startup Tucky snagged a deal with a shark on Shark Tank

The company’s slogan is “turn any top into a crop.” 

Driving the news: Tucky’s designer and founder, a Charlottean named Brooke Knaus, pitched Tucky to a panel of potential investors on the popular show Shark Tank.

• She went home with a deal with Daymond John. And shortly after her episode aired on Friday, May 19, she sold out of Tucky bands. 
• “He’s worked in fashion for so many years so I think he understands what Tucky can do for a woman’s wardrobe,” Knaus said about her decision to go with Daymond, who had matched  Kevin O’Leary’s offer of $70,000 for 40%.

Why it matters: “Shark Tank is like the fairy godmother for entrepreneurs,” Knaus tells Axios, explaining that the number of eyeballs from the show alone could be game-changing for any business. “And if you’re lucky enough to get a shark deal, you get a real mentor who can navigate some really challenging situations,” she adds.

Flashback: Knaus came up with the idea for Tucky after she gave birth to her second child. “I would look in the mirror and I didn’t recognize myself,” she recalls.

• One day, she put on a sweat suit, pulled her pants up, and realized that if she tucked her shirt into her bra, “it gave the illusion of an hourglass figure,” she says. The look really boosted her confidence during what she describes as some of the hardest parts of parenthood — newborn days.
• She realized that she needed a more comfortable tool to tuck her clothes into, and that if she needed something like this, others might too.
• She sold her first Tucky in April 2022.

How it works: “We actually shot the show in September of last year,” Knaus said, adding that she didn’t even know if her episode would air until recently.

• Knaus applied to be on the show in June of 2022, just two months after selling her first product.
• She found a show producer on Instagram and slid into her DMs, explaining she had applied to the show. The producer responded and passed her application along.
• From there, it was a three-month application process, with several rounds of interviews and background checks before they flew her out to Los Angeles.

“It was intense for a little company,” Knaus said. “The show made me organize everything at super-speed.”

What’s next: Tucky bands are available for pre-order and will be delivered within the next two weeks, according to Knaus.

• “I know there are no guarantees in life, but I think it’s going to be the biggest blessing we could ever ask for,” she said.