If you follow *Shark Tank* or just like clever home gadgets, you may remember Poplight from Season 15. Poplight is a renter-friendly wall sconce invented by Caroline and Rose Matthes. It’s the sort of idea you wish you’d thought of yourself—a light you can stick on a wall with removable 3M tape, no wiring or tools required. It runs on batteries, so you can take it down and move it wherever you want. Not just for renters, but anyone who wants to add a stylish light quickly and easily.
The Poplight Pitch: Owning Their Moment in the Tank
Caroline and Rose walked into the *Shark Tank* in early 2024, carrying a simple ask: $150,000 for 8% of their company. Their pitch felt about as relatable as it gets. They talked about trouble finding attractive, no-install lights for apartments and older homes—something a lot of us have run into.
They ran demos, passed the lights around, and showed off their color options. Throughout, they were energetic and direct, making it clear they’d tested the idea with real customers and seen demand. The Sharks quickly realized Poplight hit a pain point for renters, DIY’ers, college students, and design lovers. Kevin O’Leary and Barbara Corcoran started competing for a deal.
In the end, Kevin O’Leary offered terms the sisters liked. They shook hands on a deal and walked off set excited about the future.
What Happened Next? Poplight’s Wild Sales Spike
Here’s the thing about appearing on *Shark Tank*: even if you leave with a deal, the real story often starts after filming stops. For Poplight, airing on national TV led to a flood of interest. The company saw their orders jump by 1,500% after the episode—a classic “Shark Tank Effect.”
Customers jammed their site, ordering every unit from the first manufacturing run. Poplight’s social media accounts blew up too, with prospective buyers and design fans sharing their own Poplight lighting plans.
Caroline and Rose didn’t expect that volume overnight, but they moved fast to handle the demand. They worked with their manufacturer to quickly expand production, so nobody was left waiting too long.
Why Poplight Caught On: The Secret Sauce
People really responded to the idea because it solved an obvious, widespread problem. Most apartments don’t let you drill holes for hardwired sconces. Battery lights exist, but they tend to look cheap or clunky. The Poplight team found a way to make a rechargeable light that actually looks good—not like an emergency flashlight or under-cabinet puck.
Installation seemed about as easy as it gets: clean your wall, press on the backing with the 3M tape that comes included, and you’re done. Need to move it? Just pull and stick it somewhere else.
Add in modern colors (not just boring white or black), and Poplight started to look like a design object rather than a utility item.
Interior designers picked up on this right away. If you scroll Pinterest or Instagram, you’ll see dozens of ideas of how and where people are using Poplights—bedside, hallways, supporting art pieces, or tucked into awkward corners. For landlords, Airbnb hosts, or anyone avoiding electrical hassle, it made sense.
Product Details: Price, Colors, and Presale Period
Right after the episode aired, Poplight was still technically in presale. Customers could hop online and pick from six colors: classic white for that clean look, soft pink, a bold yellow, green, black, or bright red. Each sconce was priced at $95, which isn’t cheap for a light, but fair for a designer product, especially considering the included features.
If customers wanted an extra battery pack (the hub runs on a rechargeable battery), those were listed at $24. Most people seemed okay with the slightly premium price, especially after seeing how flexible and attractive the product is.
For anyone who backed the original Kickstarter or jumped on the preorders, shipment was set for May 2024. People on social media posted their own unboxing experiences once those started arriving, giving Poplight another nice wave of buzz.
Building the Poplight Community—and a Smart Marketing Move
After going on *Shark Tank* and seeing orders skyrocket, Caroline and Rose leaned into their customer community. They started an affiliate program called “Popstars,” where enthusiastic customers could earn a 10% commission for recommending Poplight to friends or followers.
It’s a simple, direct way to grow word-of-mouth. By giving real buyers a small cut, they created an army of unpaid marketers. The team also encouraged people to post pics, videos, and “before-and-after” shots online. Their Instagram feed and tagged posts quickly filled up with apartment dwellers, design bloggers, and DIY’ers showing off their installations.
This user-generated content wasn’t just good marketing. It also inspired new buyers by showing how people put Poplights in unexpected places—from camper vans and laundry closets to dorm headboards and reading nooks.
If you scroll their feed, it feels less like a slick brand campaign and more like a genuine design community sharing quick wins and setup hacks.
Are They Still Working With Kevin O’Leary?
A lot of people want to know if the TV deal with Mr. Wonderful actually closed. As is often the case with *Shark Tank*, the handshake deal on air didn’t become an immediate partnership behind the scenes.
Caroline and Rose told fans that they’re still in talks with Kevin O’Leary and his team. These deals can take months to wrap up, with due diligence and all the fine print. As of the most recent updates, both sides remained positive and seemed committed to moving forward.
Sometimes these TV deals fall apart after the show, sometimes they solidify later. For Poplight, it seems like the end goal is still a Kevin-backed business, but real life just takes more time than reality TV.
What’s Next for Poplight? Looking Down the Road
With the surge in attention and first launch sells out, it’s a fair bet that Caroline and Rose aren’t resting on their initial idea. The team has started teasing new product variations—different sconce shapes, other finishes, and colors that respond to customer requests.
They’ve signaled that they want Poplight to be more than a single SKU. If people want lights for a nursery, kitchen, or workspace, they plan to give more choices. The battery system is something they’ll continue developing, especially since battery life is a common request in customer feedback.
The future could mean partnerships with furniture or home brands, or unique Poplight collaborations for limited-edition colors. Distribution is also on the roadmap, with potential for retailers to carry Poplight in the future. For now, direct-to-consumer sales from their website remain their focus.
Lessons for Small Brands (and Apartment Renters)
There’s a lot to learn from how Poplight handled its Shark Tank “aftershock.” First, they didn’t take the demand for granted—they scaled production as fast as they responsibly could and kept their customers in the loop about timelines and shipping.
They responded directly to feedback about color options, accessory needs, and support requests. The affiliate program, while not uncommon, was a smart way to turn happy customers into growth partners while keeping marketing personal.
Most of all, they stuck to their original promise: a simple light that doesn’t require a drill, an electrician, or a complicated manual. That’s the kind of clear, relatable solution that works in this category. After the *Shark Tank* experience, they managed not to get swept away chasing retail deals or overhauling their brand.
If you’re interested in business stories like Poplight’s or are curious about how real-life *Shark Tank* deals work, there are some good resources—sites like readmybusiness.com break down where businesses go after the cameras stop rolling.
Where Things Stand: Summer 2024 and Beyond
So far, Poplight’s journey after *Shark Tank* is a pretty classic example of what happens when a great idea hits a national audience. They wrestled with higher-than-expected demand, turned casual fans into community ambassadors, and have managed their growth without losing control of their story.
They’re not claiming they’ve “made it” yet. But Caroline and Rose are showing up. They keep sharing customer stories, announcing new ideas, and working every day to ship out what people bought. For renters, design buffs, or anyone who just wants to add some light—literally and figuratively—to their space, Poplight is delivering on the promise they pitched.
While the long-term *Shark Tank* deal is still being finalized, the founders are moving up fast, and their fan base is rooting for them. If you want to keep up, their Instagram account is worth a follow for inspiration and updates.
That’s where things stand now: an idea that hit, a scramble to deliver, and two founders intent on keeping it all real.
