Kore Baseball lands $150,000 Shark Tank deal at $1M valuation
What's the deal? Kore Baseball ProductsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Salt Lake City maker of soft-core baseballs for backyard play, secured a $150,000 angel investment from Daniel LubetzkyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Rashaun WilliamsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → on ABC's Shark Tank. The two investors teamed up to take a 15% stake, implying a $1 million valuation.
What's the product? Kore makes soft, hand-stitched balls and custom bats designed to mimic the look, stitching, and feel of a regulation baseball. The company says they let young players build confidence without the injury risk of a hardball.
Why now? The deal, struck on the November 4 episode, lands amid a participation tailwind. MLBDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → says casual baseball participation among people aged six and up has risen 144% since 2014, and baseball and softball have been the most-played US team sports among children ages 6 to 12 in each of the past five years.
The backstory: David Koelliker founded Kore in 2014, then died of brain cancer shortly after. His wife Susan and sons Will and Charlie relaunched the business and pitched the sharks. The company says its TikTok videos have drawn more than 36 million views, attracting MLB players and content creators.
What's the endgame? With the investment, the family plans to continue new product launches and expand distribution. Its products sell through KoreBaseball.com, TikTok, and Instagram.
What could go wrong? The $150,000 for 15% implies far more dilution than the family originally sought, and the agreement is an on-air handshake, not confirmation that funding has closed. Kore also enters a crowded field of established and low-cost practice-ball options.
The signal: At $150,000, this is a small check — it sits in the bottom third of comparable deals by headline amount. The significance is less the size than whether the investors' backing can help Kore stand out and broaden distribution in a growing but competitive market.
Read more: startupresearcher.com
Image credit: Seattle Municipal Archives
