Baobab Clothing Shark Tank Update: Surviving Shark Tank Without a Deal

Baobab is a premium clothing brand that specializes in high-quality, technologically advanced everyday apparel. The company first gained national attention during Season 11 of the hit television show Shark Tank.

The brand takes its name from the legendary Baobab tree, which grows in Africa and Australia. This ancient tree is famous for living thousands of years and providing valuable nourishment to the surrounding environment.

Founders Brandon Davenport and Marcellus Alexander III wanted their clothing to mirror these exact qualities, focusing heavily on extreme durability, longevity, and practical value for the consumer.

Today, Baobab produces garments that are engineered to last. By utilizing modern material science, the company has solved common clothing problems like shrinking, fading colors, and stubborn stains.

Even though the founders walked away from Shark Tank without an investment deal, the brand has experienced massive success in the years following their television appearance.

This 2026 update explores the complete history of Baobab Clothing, detailing their time on television, their current financial net worth, and the new products they offer to consumers around the world.

What Is Baobab Clothing?

Baobab specializes in creating high-quality everyday shirts. They are most famous for their flagship product, the “Perfect Polo.” These shirts are designed to be highly versatile, meaning they look appropriate in a professional office setting, on a golf course, or during a casual weekend outing.

The higher price tag of a Baobab shirt is justified by the advanced technology and premium materials woven into every single garment.

The company sources sustainable Pima cotton directly from the mountains of Lima, Peru. This specific type of extra-long-staple cotton is famous for being incredibly soft, highly durable, and resistant to annoying fabric pilling.

Baobab enhances this premium cotton with several trademarked features that make the clothing unique:

• BAOTECH™ Fabric Technology: This special nanotechnology treatment coats the fabric at a microscopic level. It makes the shirts highly resistant to water-based stains, deep wrinkles, fading colors, and shrinking in the laundry. Furthermore, the fabric is antimicrobial. This means it naturally fights off odor-causing bacteria, allowing the shirt to be worn 10 or more times before it needs to be washed.
• StaySharp™ Collar: One of the most annoying problems with traditional polos is the “bacon collar”—a term used when the edges of the collar curl up and warp over time. Baobab solved this with their StaySharp™ design, which uses hidden collar stays and tiny button snaps to keep the collar perfectly flat at all times.
• ClearLens™: This is a highly practical feature for modern professionals. Every Baobab shirt features a hidden microfiber cloth carefully sewn into the inside bottom right hem. This cloth is designed specifically to safely clean eyeglasses, smartphone screens, or smartwatches while on the go.

The shirts feature a tailored athletic fit. They are carefully designed to look flattering and professional on various body types without feeling overly tight or excessively boxy.

Who Are the Founders Behind the Brand?

The story of Baobab began in New York City in 2016. Founders Brandon Davenport and Marcellus Alexander III were two close friends and successful business professionals.

Davenport studied finance at Morgan State University and later became a marketing expert, eventually working as the Head of Equitable Commerce at Shopify and taking on a role as Director of Communications at Hgraph.

Alexander graduated from Hampton University and built a strong career in business management, eventually taking on a leadership role working on digital capabilities at Colgate-Palmolive.

Before starting Baobab, the two men had actually built and sold a mobile marketing company together in 2010. They were experienced entrepreneurs who understood how to build a business.

Living in New York, they frequently wore polo shirts because the style easily transitioned from work to a casual setting.

However, they were constantly frustrated by the poor quality of luxury clothing. They spent a lot of money on high-end brands, only to watch the shirts fade, shrink, and develop wrinkled collars after just a few washes.

Believing that consumers deserved better, they decided to create a solution. They spent over a year researching and engineering a completely new type of shirt.

To fund the initial production, they launched crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The public loved the concept, and the founders successfully raised nearly $60,000 to bring their vision to life.

By April 2018, they were shipping their very first batch of smart luxury polo shirts to early supporters.

How Was the Baobab Shark Tank Pitch?

In October 2019, during Season 11, Episode 3 of Shark Tank, Davenport and Alexander brought Baobab to a national television audience.

They were seeking an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 10% equity in their company. This specific request meant they valued their young business at $1.5 million.

Their presentation was highly energetic and very visual. To prove the durability of their product, they demonstrated their special fabric technology right in front of the judges.

They splashed a crisp white Baobab polo shirt with common staining liquids, including hot coffee, red wine, and ketchup. To the amazement of the Sharks, all the liquids rinsed away cleanly without leaving a single mark or permanent residue.

The Sharks were genuinely impressed by the physical product and enjoyed feeling the high-quality Peruvian cotton.

However, the business negotiations did not go smoothly. The turning point came when the founders revealed their actual sales numbers.

Despite valuing the company at $1.5 million, Baobab had only generated about $83,000 in total sales at the time of filming. The Sharks felt this valuation was entirely too high for a company with such low initial revenue.

The investors began to drop out one by one. Kevin O’Leary expressed concern that the name “Baobab” was too difficult for the average consumer to pronounce or remember.

Daymond John, a highly successful clothing expert, could not get past the $1.5 million valuation.

Robert Herjavec had to step out because he had already invested in a competing clothing company called Buttercloth, creating a conflict of interest.

Finally, Mark Cuban decided not to invest because he was not convinced by the marketing strategies the founders presented.

Ultimately, Davenport and Alexander walked out of the Tank without a deal.

What Happened to Baobab After Shark Tank?

Failing to secure a deal on television often spells the end for small businesses, but for Baobab, it was just the beginning. The national exposure from the episode broadcast triggered a massive surge in sales.

Within the first 12 hours of the episode airing, a wave of new customers visited the Baobab website. The company sold an entire year’s worth of inventory overnight and completely sold out of their products.

This massive boost in visibility gave the founders the momentum they needed. When the global COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world in 2020, the apparel industry faced severe challenges.

Baobab adapted quickly by using their supply chain to manufacture and sell high-quality face masks. This strategic pivot helped the company thrive during a difficult economic period.

By the end of 2020, Baobab’s annual sales had skyrocketed from $83,000 to an impressive $700,000.

To fund further expansion without a Shark’s help, the founders turned back to the public.

In April 2021, they launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on a platform called Republic. This unique process allowed everyday people to invest small amounts of money into the company in exchange for equity.

The campaign was a major success, raising an additional $103,459 in capital to fund new clothing lines and marketing efforts.

That same year, Forbes magazine recognized Marcellus Alexander III as one of “The Next 1000” rising entrepreneurs, cementing the brand’s respected status in the modern business world.

Baobab Shark Tank Update: Products, Prices, and Shipping

As of 2026, Baobab has evolved from a single-item startup into a robust, full-service apparel brand. While they still focus heavily on the famous “Perfect Polo,” their catalog has expanded to meet growing consumer demand for comfortable, durable clothing.

The following table breaks down the core 2026 product lineup and how the pricing has evolved since the original Shark Tank appearance.

Product Category	Legacy Pricing (Pre-2024)	Verified 2026 Pricing
Men’s Perfect Polo (Short Sleeve)	$88.00	$115.00
Men’s Perfect Polo (Long Sleeve)	$98.00	$135.00
Men’s Perfect Tee	Not Available	$68.00
Women’s Perfect Polo	Not Available	$104.00 – $109.00

For customers looking to upgrade their entire wardrobe at once, Baobab offers a helpful bundle discount.

Shoppers automatically receive a 15% discount at checkout when purchasing three or more items from the store.

Shipping and the 90-Day Guarantee

Baobab aims to provide a luxury experience from the moment an order is placed. The company operates its main fulfillment center out of Denton, Maryland.

When a customer places an order, the processing time is a rapid 1 to 2 business days. For domestic buyers inside the United States, delivery generally takes between 1 and 5 days, and all domestic shipping costs are completely complimentary.

The company has also expanded its reach globally. International customers, from the United Kingdom and Europe, can easily order Baobab clothing directly from the official website. The appropriate taxes and shipping rates are calculated automatically at checkout.

To ensure absolute customer satisfaction and build trust, Baobab offers a confident 90-day “Love It, Or Send It Back” guarantee. Consumers can wear the shirt, test its extreme durability, and evaluate the fit for up to three months.

If the product does not meet their strict expectations, they can return it for a full refund. Returns within the United States are entirely free.

For international orders, customers are permitted to return unused items for a refund, though the buyer is responsible for paying the return shipping costs, and exchanges are not permitted.

Is Baobab Still in Business?

Current market research confirms that Baobab Clothing is very much still in business and operating successfully in 2026. The founders proved that a business does not always need a massive investment from a celebrity billionaire to succeed, provided the core product genuinely solves a frustrating consumer problem.

The company operates primarily as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business. By selling directly through their own website, they avoid the heavy costs associated with maintaining traditional physical retail stores. This highly efficient business model has allowed the company to build a strong financial foundation while surviving economic shifts.

Both Brandon Davenport and Marcellus Alexander III continue to guide the brand, proving their initial dedication to creating a sustainable, long-lasting clothing line.

What Is the Net Worth of Baobab in 2026?

The financial trajectory of Baobab Clothing is a powerful example of modern business success. After struggling to validate a $1.5 million valuation in the Shark Tank in 2019, the company has more than proven its true worth to the market.

As of 2026, Baobab consistently generates approximately $1 million in annual revenue. Financial analysts estimate that the current net worth of Baobab Clothing sits comfortably between $2 million and $3 million.

By combining the extreme softness of Peruvian Pima cotton with the futuristic functionality of BAOTECH™ nanotechnology, Baobab offers a product that traditional clothing giants struggle to match.

While the $115 starting price represents a premium investment, the extreme durability, stain resistance, and 90-day guarantee ensure that the shirt delivers long-term value.

For shoppers desiring a high-quality, zero-maintenance polo shirt that will look brand new for years, Baobab remains an exceptional, highly recommended choice.