When Darwin-based saleswoman Heidi Loy presented her pitch to the Shark Tank judges, we immediately liked her thinking.
The 53-year-old was a problem solver and a wine drinker, which are two things we can very much relate to.
Her invention? Ice Bucket Skins – which look like a cross between a stubby holder and an ice bucket for a wine bottle.
During her pitch, Heidi explained that her product’s point of difference was its special, water-repellent fabric coating, which gets rid of condensation and prevents the dreaded wet-lap-situation or wet-table-scenario, that we as fellow rosé drinkers are all too familiar with.
“It’s something that’s out there that nobody has realised is a problem. For me going out I sit at a bar or at a table at a restaurant and the water ends up pooling and it ends up in my lap,” she explained.
Watch the moment Heidi uttered the five words that ended her Shark Tank chances:
While the Sharks liked her invention, when it came to Heidi’s business figures, things started to unravel.
Heidi was asking for a $260,000 investment for a 10 per cent stake her company, meaning she valued her business at $2.6 million.