Whatever Happened To Seedsheets After Shark Tank?
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Not everyone is born with a green thumb. But thanks to an idea by Middlebury, Vermont's Cam MacKugler, anyone can grow healthy, natural food from the comfort of home. In "Shark Tank" Season 8, Episode 20, the entrepreneur pitches Seedsheets, and asks for $500,000 at 10 percent equity. All one has to do is unroll a sheet of dissolvable patches, add water, and watch seeds sprout. In fact, MacKugler calls on Mark Cuban to help set the world record for the fastest time to precision plant 7,000 seeds. Customers could choose from pre-portioned kits (grow your own salad, tacos, etc.) or design their own. In the end, MacKugler accepts an offer from Lori Greiner (who is the least likely to close a deal) for $500,000, 20 percent.
It's been several years since Seedsheets appeared on "Shark Tank." While it's still very much in business, the company's inventory has changed a bit since the reality show. Container-sized kits (12 inches by 36 inches) retailing for $14.99 are highlighted on "Shark Tank," but the website now only has 8 foot by 4 foot raised bed Seedsheets, the cost of which begins at $99. There remains a variety to choose from, with options including pad Thai, southern comfort, and more.
Customer reviews for Seedsheets aren't great
When trying to get Cam MacKugler to accept her offer of $500,000 for 20 percent, Lori Greiner promised to try and garner more publicity for Seedsheets via QVC. She did exactly this in 2017, bringing MacKugler on TV to demonstrate his invention. Referring to MacKugler as the "garden whisperer," Greiner sold the garden kits for $24.96 each.
However, these are no longer available through QVC, perhaps because many customers were displeased with the product they received. In response to a video posted by the home shopping platform, one dissatisfied customer commented, "Great idea, mine were super late getting to me and oh gosh weeks later they look pitiful ... with what I spent ... I would never ever buy this product again." Another said, "Sad to say spent $50 on nothing those little plastic bags [the] seeds are in broke..."
Over on Amazon, where Seedsheets are also no longer available, most of the reviews are very similar. Several purchasers didn't see much — or any — growth in their garden, despite following the instructions that, apparently, one must obtain by texting a phone number. One said, "Followed the directions perfectly and nothing grew. Reached out to the company for replacement seeds and help and got no response."