What Happened To FORT After Shark Tank: Is The Toy Company Still In Business?

Summary FORT - a modular pillow fort business, appeared on Shark Tank but didn't secure a deal due to product risks and investor concerns.

Despite $4.5 million in Kickstarter sales, FORT struggled post-Shark Tank with quality issues, supply chain problems, and ultimately closed down.

FORT's founder, Conor Lewis, showcased honesty and integrity on the show but faced challenges that led to the business's downfall.

FORT is a business that appeared on Shark Tank season 13 with the idea for a modular pillow fort. The ABC reality series Shark Tank, based on the Japanese show Dragon's Den, features a panel of business celebrities called the "sharks", who judge whatever wild, inventive, unexpected, or downright strange business idea and invention the hopeful entrepreneur contestants bring in. The interesting thing about the Shark Tank format is that once a contestant wins and secures funding, their work is just getting started as they now have a funded business to grow.

Every season since 2009, contestants have pitched their ideas to the sharks. Sometimes they leave happy, some leave angry, and some get good advice but no money to show for it. And just because the sharks say no to an idea, doesn't mean the business is destined to fail. There are plenty of rejected pitches on Shark Tank that become successful and many of their backed businesses have gone under. Conor Lewis came on Shark Tank to sell his Kickstarter business, a children's activity playset.

Related Nana Hats: What Happened To The Banana Protection Company After Shark Tank Nana Hats are an odd product with a great business behind them and the little hats for bananas were a hit on Shark Tank, but what happened after?

FORT Didn't Get A Deal On Shark Tank

The Sharks Thought There Was Too Much Risk In Lewis' Untested Product

Close

FORT was invented during the COVID-19 pandemic by Conor Lewis after he lost his marketing job and decided to pursue his dream of starting a business. The idea is stackable pillows with magnets, specially designed to be made into children's forts, a way to save parents' and guardians' couches from wear and tear. Lewis came on Shark Tank in season 13, episode 18 with a bit of an odd business plan. FORT launched on Kickstarter in January 2021 and sold $4.5 million worth of products before he appeared on the show in September 2022.

However, while on the show, FORT had yet to deliver one of their playsets, making the sharks less sure about whether consumers would like the product once they received it. Further complicating the pitch was that someone else had invested in FORT for 5%, but they were set to receive 40% once the company hit certain revenue targets, meaning anyone else who invested would have their investment diluted once the company succeeded. As Mark Cuban tells Lewis,

"You're a great case for what not to do as an entrepreneur. People can learn a lot from your experience."

Every shark commended Lewis on his honesty, integrity, and great attitude, but none could see the business as a worthwhile idea. Only Robert Herjavec considered the $500,000 for 10%, but he clearly liked the entrepreneur more than the idea and eventually declined.

FORT Didn't Benefit From The Shark Tank Effect & Is Now Out Of Business

FORT Could Not Meet The Demand And Still Make A Profit

Sometimes, after appearances on Shark Tank, a business will feel the "Shark Tank effect", a bump in sales that comes from the national exposure of being on the show, whether they receive a deal or not (via Mashable). FORT, unfortunately, was not able to take advantage of their appearance.

Complaints were filed against FORT with many Kickstarter backers worried about the safety of the magnets and frustrated that they either received a product that wasn't the quality they expected, or they didn't receive the product at all.

Complaints were filed against FORT with many Kickstarter backers worried about the safety of the magnets and frustrated that they either received a product that wasn't the quality they expected, or they didn't receive the product at all (via BBB). FORT struggled on after Shark Tank with additional products like "FORT Lite" which only served to aggravate supply chain issues. Finally, in May 2023, FORT announced its closure (via Kickstarter). This was followed by an October recall of the product by the CPSC, citing the magnets as choking hazards.

It's not the ending Lewis nor FORT backers would have hoped for after an appearance on Shark Tank, but it's clear from Lewis' pitch and his constant updates on Kickstarter that the entrepreneur never intended to cause any harm. The company got away from him as it so often does in entrepreneurship and hopefully, if he attempts another business, he'll have learned a few things.