ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

'Shark Tank' contestant makes the judges fight, then convinces them to team up for $250,000 deal

Genius Litter founder Ramon Van Meer impressed the panel and ended up triggering a Shark fight.
PUBLISHED AUG 15, 2025
Screenshot showing Genius Litter's founder, Ramon Van Meer making his pitch (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Genius Litter's founder, Ramon Van Meer making his pitch (Cover image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

Every now and then, a genius product comes into "Shark Tank" and all the investors end up wanting a piece of it. One such product came from Genius Litter, whose founder, Ramon Van Meer, impressed the Sharks with his entrepreneurial acumen. He ended up triggering a Shark fight, at the end of which Kevin O'Leary got chewed out by Mark Cuban, who struck a $250,000 deal along with his fellow Sharks, Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec. 

Screenshot showing Ramon Van Meer celebrating the deal (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showing Ramon Van Meer celebrating the deal (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

Van Meer was seeking $250,000 for 4% equity in his company. In his pitch, he shared that his cat Quinsel got seriously sick from a urinary tract infection, and by the time he found out, it was too late. Thus, he came up with the idea of Genius Litter, a cat litter that changed colors based on the quality of the cat's urine, to detect infections and other urinary problems. “It tests the urine. If it’s a high pH or a low pH, it will tell you if there’s a potential health issue. For example, if it turns red, it could be a kidney problem. If it’s blue or green, it could be a UTI," he said. 

Screenshot showin Van Meer making his pitch (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showin Van Meer making his pitch (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

Van Meer shared that he was a seasoned entrepreneur and had previously sold companies for millions of dollars, which allowed him to put $1 million of his own cash in the business and raise another million from investors. “I want to build and scale this business and then sell it,” he told the Sharks. He added that he had two more products in the pipeline for dogs as well. “Great idea,”  Hervajec said. “You’re really such an impressive man." "You’re wonderful," guest Shark Emma Grede added. 

Grede then asked if similar products existed, and Van Meer admitted that although they were available, his products were more comfortable for cats. When asked about the numbers, Van Meer left the judges in awe after revealing that the company had generated $3.1 million in revenue, with $465,000 in profits. 

With this, the Sharks started making moves. O'Leary first expressed interest, saying he had invested in another pet product company, BasePaws, and his database would help Van Meer greatly. However, Grede and Cuban were not too keen to make a deal, due to their unfamiliarity with the pet industry. So, they dropped out. 

Screenshot showing Mark Cuban and Emma Grede (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showing Mark Cuban and Emma Grede (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

O'Leary quickly teamed up with Greiner to make an offer. “Lori and I have been talking about this. Here’s the deal: we want 10% of the company for $250,000, but we want a $2 royalty until we get back $1 million,” he said. However, Van Meer wasn't interested in making a royalty deal and asked if the Sharks would do a straight equity deal. This prompted the two investors to make another offer of $250,000 for 20%.

Herjavec then jumped in, making an offer of his own. He put up $250,000 for 10% equity to undercut the other offer. “How about three Sharks?” Van Meer responded, asking the three investors to team up.

As they deliberated with O'Leary resisting, Cuban jumped back in saying, “Ramon, you came in asking for 4%. I’m so tired of this, I’ll do $250,000 for 8%. But you’ve got to say yes right now." When Van Meer asked Greiner to join Cuban, she said, “He should not be able to just come in and scoop it."

Screenshot showing Greiner's reaction (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)
Screenshot showing Greiner's reaction (Image source: YouTube/Sony Pictures Television)

Finally, O'Leary broke his silence and said, “Ramon, I love you, but I’m going to pass. It’s just not enough,” he said. Herjavec and Greiner then changed their ask to 8% equity and 2% in advisory shares, and Cuban asked if he could replace O'Leary. Van Meer then accepted the three-Shark deal with open arms.

According to Shark Tank Recap, there is no public information available on whether the deal closed after the show. However, Genius Litter is still going strong with its expanded range of products available on its website. 

More on Market Realist: 

'Shark Tank' judge Kevin O'Leary demands higher stake from contestants who made him wait for a deal

‘Shark Tank’ contestant seals $200,000 deal with Daymond John — then lifts him up in wild moment

'Shark Tank' contestants won't take no for an answer — end up with $100,000 deal against all odds

RELATED TOPICS SHARK TANK
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The President and CEO of Walmart, Doug McMillion expressed that AI will "literally change every job."
11 hours ago
While the seller was confident that the instrument was ever so valuable, Harrison begged to differ.
15 hours ago
The 54th season of the show has begun with a brand-new game, but fans fear it could be rigged.
1 day ago
The guest had absolutely no idea that the Ching Dynasty snuff bottle could be worth so much.
1 day ago
While Corey Harrison tried his best, the seller had other plans and stuck to it.
3 days ago
Harvey warned the contestant that she may be in a situation she can't handle.
4 days ago
In the end, the expert adviced the guest to put the item on a pedestal for the future.
4 days ago
Fans debated if the player got the correct answer in time, or if the judges the right call
5 days ago
While the comedian/host's answers were barely intelligible, Harvey didn't miss a beat to roast him.
5 days ago
When a player expressed her desires for Harvey, the host was more than happy.
5 days ago
While the seller was confident that his items were 100% authentic, Rick Harrison wasn't so sure.
6 days ago
While some players made the host feel good, others were not so nice to him.
7 days ago
It seemed like Harvey knew what the consequences of "telling your wife to shut up" are.
7 days ago
The guest was astonished to learn that his father's $100 watch was worth thousands of dollars.
Sep 23, 2025
Nevertheless, the contestant Christine Seminerio walked home with nearly $40,000.
Sep 23, 2025
Kristen VanBlargan who appeared on the show in March, shared the details in her blog.
Sep 23, 2025
The contestant, Cory Earp, won more than $126,000 after getting a scolding from Ryan Seacrest.
Sep 23, 2025
The answers ranged from stupid to highly supportive on the show but few made it to the board.
Sep 22, 2025
Fans were furious after all three contestants failed to recognize the actor who voiced Darth Vader.
Sep 22, 2025
The player, Miguel Martinez got unlucky with the letters he picked and lost out on a massive win.
Sep 22, 2025