Sparketh Art Education Update | Shark Tank Season 13
Some students struggle to find their creative spark, especially in a world where art isn’t a priority. Entrepreneurs Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel designed the art education platform Sparketh to help kids and teens express themselves. After their
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Sparketh after
Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel appeared on
| Shark: | Result: |
| Barbara Corcoran and Daniel Lubetzky | Accepted deal of $100,000 for 20% equity, contingent on profit after six months |
| Mark Cuban | No Offer |
| Lori Greiner | No Offer |
| Kevin O’Leary | No Offer |
Shark Tank Sparketh Update
- Entrepreneurs: Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel
- Business: Online art education for kids and teens
- Ask: $100,000 for 8% equity
- Result: $100,000 for 20% equity, contingent on profit after six months
- Shark: Barbara Cocoran and Daniel Lubetzky
Atlanta-based childhood best friends Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel found a shared passion for inspiring the next generation of creative minds. Their online art education app and website, Sparketh, focuses on teaching kids and teens art techniques and allows them to share their work.
Walker and Samuel dropped out of college in 2015 to start the business. Samuel suffers from sickle cell disease, and his work ethic has often landed him in the hospital. Still, his tenacity keeps him going.
Samuel runs the video side of the business, filming tutorials and techniques for the website. Walker, the artist, prompts the sharks to do a quick art demonstration. It’s a charming, interactive pitch.
And then they get into the numbers, which are somewhat less charming. Walker and Samuel reveal that Sparketh did $300,000 in sales in 2020, which is an improvement over their sales in previous years.
However, none of their customers continue beyond 12 months. For a subscription-based service, that doesn’t look very good. Customers offer about $160 in lifetime value but come with $51 in acquisition costs
Some of the sharks are visibly put off by these numbers, as the business is only just breaking even.
Tim and Dwayne say they plan to use the money to create more content and build a better website. Further, they are on track to do $500,000 in sales this year. Is it enough to sway the sharks?
Lori Greiner is the first to drop out. She loves the idea, but says she’s not an ‘app person,’ so it’s not for her.
Kevin O’Leary, of course, has an issue with the high valuation. Since the company isn’t profitable, he doesn’t see it.
The entrepreneurs say it’s for the vision, but Kevin wants to see a return on his investment. He drops out as well.
Mark Cuban says that he wants them to have something that makes them stand out. There are free YouTube videos that do the same thing, and they don’t require a subscription to access.
Since the entrepreneurs don’t have anything to ‘hang their hats on,’ Mark is out.
This leaves Barabara Corcoran and guest shark Daniel Lubetzky. Barbara says she’s looking for a reason to invest, despite the lack of profits.
The entrepreneurs have repeatedly said that they could be profitable if they wanted to, which prompts Barbara to make a deal. She’ll give them $100,000 for 20% equity, with a contingency — they have to be profitable after six months.
Guest shark Daniel Lubetzky agrees with Barbara. He loves the entrepreneur’s spirit and is especially sympathetic to Samuel’s struggle with sickle cell. However, he doesn’t think that they’re taking it seriously enough.
Daniel proposes joining in with Barbara, even if it’s for 10% equity because he wants to mentor these entrepreneurs.
They accept the offer, which leads to a four-way hug. But, does the deal open the door to success for the art education platform?
Our latest Sparketh update indicates the company might not have seen a huge ‘Shark Tank Effect’, but has managed to grow to an estimated $1.5 million in annual revenue.
They currently offer a free one-month trial with access to their entire art course library, as well as special course ‘tracks’ for different types of art — animals, nature, basic elements, food, and portraits.
You can also buy a year of Sparketh access for $250, which is a discount on their $25 subscription fee.
While Sparketh is currently active on social media and has amassed over 18,000 Instagram followers, they haven’t provided any updated news or blog posts on the official website since their
Even though growth looks slow, the duo is still working hard to encourage learning and creativity in young, aspiring artists.
If we get more news on a Sparketh update, we will let you know!
Before you go, be sure to check out some other company updates from
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Andrew Smith is the founder and owner of Shark Tank Recap. He is a longtime Shark Tank fan that has been watching it for years and has seen every episode multiple times. His friends know him as the Shark Tank expert, because he can answer any question about the show! His favorite Shark Tank products are Bertello's pizza oven and Bug Bite Thing!