Unusual business ideas from Canada, Australia, the UK and beyond
TV shows such as Shark Tank and Dragons’ Den have given airtime to entrepreneurs with the most unusual business ideas imaginable, from the absolute genius to the downright bizarre. And while some of these quirky concepts have gone nowhere, others have won serious investment cash and become overnight sensations. Click or scroll through as we take a look at some of the most out-of-the-ordinary business ideas ever pitched on TV around the world.
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Shark Tank, USA: Wake ‘N Bacon
An especially zany idea that appeared on America’s Shark Tank, Wake N Bacon is a quirky alarm clock that rouses you from your slumber with the smell of sizzling bacon. Setting the alarm entails slotting in a slice of raw bacon, which is cooked to crispy perfection at the allotted time. Unsurprisingly, the piggy-shaped gizmo, which featured in season two, was deemed crazy by the Sharks, and inventor Matty Sallin left with zero investment cash.
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Shark Tank, USA: RokBlok
Spelling the end for the record player, former Apple creative Logan Riley brought the house down when he pitched his RokBlok wireless portable vinyl player, a world first and the smallest ever invented, on season nine of the show. The size of a matchbox, the wooden contraption can be placed on any record and voilà. Riley cashed in with a $500,000 investment from Robert Herjavec for 100% of the company and a royalties deal of $5 per unit sold.
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Dragons’ Den, UK: SuperKneeS
Across the Atlantic, the UK’s Dragons’ Den has seen its fair share of wacky ideas as well. First up is SuperKneeS. Presented by Stipan Saulich in season two, these strap-on roller skates enable users to whizz around from chore to chore. On their knees. As you might expect, Saulich, who didn’t even get to speak, was laughed off the show but his peculiar invention did enjoy modest success for a time in places as far afield as Spain and Ukraine.
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Shark Tank, Australia: Donugs
Donugs has got to be one of the craziest, not to mention yummiest, concepts to feature on the Australian version of Shark Tank. A chicken nugget crossed with a doughnut, the sinful snack, which was pitched in season four, landed its inventors Crag Carrick and Rachel Dutton a $70,000 investment from Shark Naomi Simson in exchange for 25% of the business. We want one now.
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Dragons’ Den, Canada: Aurora Castle Theme Park
The Canadian Dragons’ Den show hasn’t been lacking in outlandish pitches either. Take Aurora Castle Theme Park. Showcased in season four by eccentric entrepreneur Jeffrey Tradburks, who hoped to get started with a $75,000 (£58k) investment, the crazy spaceship-shaped theme park would have cost over a billion dollars to build. Needless to say, the Dragons were all out.
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Dans l’œil du dragon, Canada: Astropet
Staying in Canada, Québec’s Dans l’œil du dragon (‘In the Eye of the Dragon’) gives the English language version a run for its money in the unusual pitches stakes. For instance, Astropet was a website presented by Jérôme Matas in the first season that offers horoscopes for cats and dogs. Described by Dragon Gaétan Frigon as the most ridiculous pitch he’d ever seen, the idea was panned and Matas left with nothing.
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Die Höhle der Löwen, Germany: HappyPo
Out of all the ideas pitched on Germany’s Die Höhle der Löwen (‘The Lion’s Cave’), HappyPo is definitely the most unusual. On first inspection the gadget looks like an electric toothbrush or oral irrigator but it is in fact a portable mini-bidet. The electricity-free device is an eco-friendly way to cut down on toilet paper use according to inventors Oliver Elsoud and Frank Schmischke, who left the show with a $135,000 (£105k) investment in exchange for 25% of their business.
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Shark Tank, USA: UroClub
Another innovative, or crazy, toilet solution, UroClub was presented in season one to the Sharks, who pretty much giggled their way through the entire pitch. The brainchild of Florida urologist Dr Floyd Seskin, UroClub is a portable urinal disguised as a 7-iron golf club that male golfers can pee into mid-game. But UroClub wasn’t completely laughed off the show and Dr Seskin scored a $25,000 (£19k) investment for 75% equity courtesy of Kevin Harrington.
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Dragons’ Den, UK: Tingotang
How’s this for a cringy idea? A range of jewellery for unattached people to signal their single status. Clare Sagar and Gill Kirtland’s Tingotang line, which was pitched in season five, met with derision from the Dragons, who described it as “embarrassing” and “ludicrous”. The duo failed to secure the $129,000 (£100k) investment they asked for and left the show red-faced.
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Dragons’ Den, UK: DriveSafe Glove
Plenty of terrible ideas have been pitched on the UK’s Dragons’ Den show, but the worst has to be season four’s DriveSafe Glove, a plain white glove that British motorists abroad would wear on the right hand to remind them to drive on the correct side of the road. Inventor Mike Carr asked for $129,000 (£100k) but of course left empty-handed.
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Shark Tank, Australia: 2Shu
Billed as “the most Aussie invention ever”, 2Shu is a clever piece of footwear that transforms from a flip-flop (or thong as it’s known locally) to a closed-toe shoe in seconds. Dreamt up by surfer Matthew Gillett, who wanted $105,000 (£81k) for 40% of the business, the shoe featured in season two. Shark Janine Allis loved the concept and Gillett left the show with a plum investment.
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Shark Tank, USA: Delighted By Hummus
Who knew sweetened hummus could be so delectable? The savoury vegan, gluten-free and non-dairy chickpea-based dip was given a sugary makeover by Makenzie Marzluff and presented to the bemused Sharks in season nine. Mark Cuban was blown away by the range’s four flavours – Snickerdoodle, Vanilla Bean, Brownie Batter and Choc-O-Mint – and invested $600,000 (£466k) in exchange for 25% equity.
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Shark Tank, USA: CitiKitty
Just the thing for cat owners who are grossed out by stinky litter trays, CitiKitty is a kit that trains your feline friend to use the toilet instead – and it actually works. Pitched by Rebecca Rescate in season two, the cat potty-training kit was labelled “disgusting” and “crazy” by Shark Kevin O’Leary, but Rescate managed to strike a deal with Kevin Harrington, and her product has gone on to gross more than $8 million (£6.2m).
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Dragons’ Den, Ireland: Hidbin
Parked outside millions of homes, the ubiquitous bin on wheels is an eyesore that many people wish they could hide. Luckily, landscape gardener Mark O’Loughlin has the solution. His Hidbin invention turns it into a pretty-looking hedge. The product proved a winner with the Irish Dragons in season two and O’Loughlin secured an investment of $59,000 (£46k) for 40% of the business.
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Shark Tank, USA: Baker’s Edge
For many people, the best part of a fudge brownie or lasagne is the crispy edge. Enter Baker’s Edge. A simple but brilliant idea, the pan is designed to maximise the corners, making for lots of crispy edges. The pan was pitched by inventor Matthew Griffin and his wife Emily in season five but, incredibly, they didn’t bag a deal. Still, their product has sold like hot (crispy) cakes ever since.
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Dans l’œil du dragon, Canada: Big Boy Cage Mobile
This outré invention for pet owners with dogs that are too big to fit in their vehicle was pitched by Gatineau innovator Julien Venne in the first season of the Québecois show. The funny cage attaches to the back of a car or van, and has enough space for two extra-large canines. Venne’s idea, which is actually pretty cool, unfortunately didn’t appeal to the Dragons and he left sans investment.
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Den D, Czech Republic: Humanic Houses
Curious concepts have also abounded on Den D, the Czech version of Dragons’ Den. Twins Michal and Lubomir provided one of the highlights of season four when they presented Humanic Houses. The brothers were seeking hard cash for their homes with human faces idea, but their amateurish pitch and the sloppily painted model they hobbled together failed to wow the hard-nosed Dragons, who had trouble keeping straight faces.
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Shark Tank, USA: Squirrel Boss
Like a Taser for bird food-stealing critters, Squirrel Boss is a feeder fitted with a harmless static charge that the user activates with a remote control to zap the offending rodent and send it on its way. Providing hours of evil fun for slightly sadistic birdlovers, the gadget was pitched by Michael DeSanti on season four but didn’t attract a deal. Nevertheless, numerous units of the squirrel-proof invention have since been sold.
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Shark Tank, Australia: iKiFit
An odd learning programme for kids based around an even odder orange stick, iKiFit was created by Kim Macrae. The entrepreneur poured in $560,000 (£435k) to develop it, but had only made $35,000 (£27k) from his brainwave when he braved the Australian Shark Tank in season three. Macrae failed dismally in winning over the Sharks, who found the pitch “awkward” and “uncomfortable”.
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Shark Tank, USA: Cougar Lifestyle Shot
The Sharks really didn’t know what to make of Ryan Custer’s energy shot drink aimed at middle-age women eager to date younger men, which featured in season three. As might be expected, Barbara Corcoran was least impressed by the sexist concoction that she concluded “tastes like chalk”, and Custer left without getting the desired $150,000 (£116k) backing in exchange for 30% of his business.
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Dragons’ Den, Canada: Cereal Pants
Shea Kewin rocked up to the Canadian Dragons’ Den show in season nine to pitch his snack-friendly sweatpants that are kitted out with an inflatable bowl for ultra-lazy munching. Kewin asked for $66,000 (£51k) in exchange for 15% equity, but his jokey sweatpants were roundly dismissed by the Dragons, despite their obvious novelty appeal.
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Shark Tank, USA: DrumPants
Another product that turns a humble pair of trousers into something altogether more awesome, DrumPants is a wearable sensor that attaches to the piece of clothing, transforming it into a drum kit that can play up to 100 sounds. Inventors Lei Yu and Tyler Freeman pitched the idea in season six and actually got two offers but couldn’t decide which to go for and so ended up leaving without a deal.
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Den D, Czech Republic: Bezpečný Domov
Amateur inventor Patrik Večeřa came unstuck when he pitched his Bezpečný Domov (‘Safe Home’) idea to the Czech Dragons in season four. The mechanical dome fits over buildings to supposedly protect them from tornadoes and hurricanes, but Večeřa, who has no experience in engineering, had no clue whether it would actually work and the idea was destroyed by the show’s venture capitalists.
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Dragons’ Den, UK: Kymera Magic Wand
Chris Barnardo and Richard Blakesley enchanted the UK Dragons with their Hogwarts-worthy Magic Wand universal remote control, which has gone down in Dragons’ Den history as one of the show’s most unique and successful products. After sparking a bidding war that was won by Scottish entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne, the enterprising pair conjured up a $258,000 (£200k) investment for 30% of the business and their spellbinding gizmo has gone on to gross millions.
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Shark Tank, USA: Ionic Ear
Inventor Darrin Johnson thought he’d snag a $1 million (£776k) investment in exchange for 15% equity when he presented his Ionic Ear contraption to the Sharks in the very first episode of the show. A Bluetooth device that is surgically implanted in the user’s ear, the gadget was described by Shark Barbara Corcoran as “the weirdest damn thing I’ve ever heard”.
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Dragons’ Den, UK: Trunki
The ride-on suitcase for kids that has conquered the world, Trunki was actually rejected by the Dragons – inventor Rob Law’s season three pitch ended in disaster when retail magnate Theo Paphitis broke the strap on the prototype and Peter Jones called the product “worthless”. More fool them. The case has gone on to sell in the millions and is now a familiar sight in airports around the world.
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Shark Tank, USA: Drive Suits
Turning humans into Transformers, Californian innovator Drew Beaumier presented his madcap wearable car concept to the Sharks in season four. Capable of speeds of up to 12mph, the robot suits come in several versions, from the motorcycle to the monster truck. Beaumier landed $150,000 (£116k) in exchange for 20% equity, but the deal fell apart before the show aired for unknown reasons.
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Shark Tank, USA: The Skinny Mirror
Taking a concave mirror you’d expect to see in a fairground fun house, Belinda Jasmine created The Skinny Mirror, which makes anyone looking in it appear up to 10 pounds thinner. Jasmine pitched it to the US Sharks in season eight and asked for $200,000 (£155k) in exchange for a 20% stake, but her idea was lambasted for deceiving people and perpetuating unrealistic body standards.
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Shark Tank, USA: LICKI Brush
Dubbed “the weirdest product in Shark Tank USA history”, and there have been plenty of oddball ideas pitched, LICKI Brush is a plastic gizmo that lets owners lick their cats. Yes, really. One of two products presented by Tara and Jason O’Mara in season eight, the bizarre brush failed to impress the incredulous Sharks, and the kooky couple, who were after $300,000 (£233k) for 15% equity, walked away with no deal.
