Whatever Happened To SwiftPaws After Shark Tank?

When Meghan Wolfgram began her company SwiftPaws in 2012, the lure-chasing machine was a commercial venture. Wolfgram sold her $2,000 product to dog trainers, doggy daycares, and law enforcement agencies. The San Diego Zoo used the machine, which pulls flag targets around a clothesline at over 30 miles per hour, for their cheetahs. But Wolfgram wanted to create an affordable, at-home version for dog owners. In 2018, she launched a Kickstarter and netted over $73,000. In 2020, she made $670,000 as part of a seed round of fundraising.

Still, Wolfgram needed help with scaling and manufacturing, so she appeared on "Shark Tank" for a Season 13 episode that aired in April 2022. The sharks were unilaterally impressed with her work ethic and business model — even though the lure-chasing machine was a steep $449.

Lori Grenier was so impressed with Wolfgram's SwiftPaws that she offered her the coveted "golden ticket" — a deal that the shark only pulls out about once a year. The golden ticket ensures entrepreneurs that they'll get exactly the deal they asked for — in Wolfgram's case, $240,000 for 6% equity. Wolfgram tearfully accepted Lori's offer. "There's gonna be so many happy dogs," she said, later telling Florida Trend, "I cried way more than they shared on TV." 

So where is SwiftPaws at now? Since the "Shark Tank" episode aired, SwiftPaws has been on the up and up, increasing their sales and expanding their product line.

The deals on "Shark Tank" don't always come to fruition, and Lori Grenier is the least likely to close a deal, according to Forbes. The golden ticket, however, made SwiftPaws a different animal entirely, and Lori did, in fact, ink the deal.

Even before Lori applied her business expertise to SwiftPaws, the company experienced the typical post-"Shark Tank" surge. By the morning after the episode aired, SwiftPaws sold $100,000 in lure-chasing gear. With lifetime sales of $1.5 million, that means SwiftPaws made 7% of its total earnings in a few short hours.

In her "Shark Tank" appearance, Meghan Wolfgram conceded that the traditional model was pricey and that her target price was $199. Now, SwiftPaws is launching their newest product, Chase, a smaller lure-chasing toy that's more affordable and fits indoors.

"With Lori's help, we have been working hard on that version without compromising on quality," Wolfgram said in a video introducing Chase. Chase's courses extend up to 100 feet long and 20 miles per hour, with an app-controlled mechanism. Chase will retail for $299, but to mark the one-year anniversary since appearing on "Shark Tank," Chase is available for pre-order for $199.

Additionally, SwiftPaws has expanded to include a faster, larger model called Home Plus for $749.99, as well as accessories like dog beds, collapsible dog bowls, and a manual chase game called Flirt Pole.