Fort Shark Tank Update

Fort: A Creative Play Solution for Kids

Fort, a startup spotlighted on Season 13 of Shark Tank, was founded by Conor B. Lewis. The company’s main product is a magnetic pillow toy designed to spark creativity and learning in children, aptly named “The Fort.”

The Fort is a versatile, high-quality playset made from magnetized foam and top-grade leather fabric. This toy encourages kids to develop their cognitive and creative skills by constructing various structures.

Each Fort kit comes with 12 foam pieces in different shapes, including squares, rectangles, triangles, half-moons, and arches. Kids can build an array of creations such as houses, ramps, slides, and more—limited only by their imagination.

Unique among toys, The Fort promotes creative and imaginative play. Its magnetic feature adds an extra layer of fun while introducing children to basic concepts of magnetism, geometry, and spatial awareness in an engaging way.

Designed with safety and convenience in mind, The Fort contains no harmful chemicals, making it suitable for children’s health. It has also passed multiple safety tests for heavy elements, torque, tension, impact, and drop.

The Fort is easy to store and portable, allowing kids to enjoy it in various settings. Its waterproof nature makes cleanup simple in case of spills, adding to its practicality for parents. The product is exclusively available on its official website, getthefort.com.

Given its thoughtful design and educational benefits, The Fort is an excellent choice for parents looking for toys that both entertain and contribute to their child’s growth and learning.

The Fort is specifically crafted to offer kids a magical and engaging play experience. It includes 12 pieces in five shapes that keep kids engaged while protecting your couch cushions. Designed for easy assembly by children, it encourages creative and imaginative play.

Made of wipeable, waterproof fabric that is pet-safe, The Fort can be used both indoors and outdoors. It helps kids burn off energy during extreme weather conditions and can be conveniently stacked and stored.

With The Fort, children can build anything their creativity allows. The synthetic leather fabric is soft, waterproof, and pet-friendly. The structural foam provides support for safe play. Neodymium magnets ensure strong connections for building and dismantling structures.

The covers are removable and replaceable to reduce waste. Child safety is a top priority, and The Fort has been tested to meet safety standards.

Conor B. Lewis, the founder of Fort, hails from St. Louis, Missouri. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Western Kentucky University. His design skills were crucial in shaping the product’s aesthetic and functional aspects.

Before starting Fort, he held positions in several companies, acquiring valuable experience that would later serve him well in his entrepreneurial endeavors.

In April 2020, during the global pandemic, Lewis lost his job. Faced with uncertainty about his future, he used his knowledge and creativity to create the “Magnetic Pillow Fort.”

This idea was inspired by his understanding of children’s need for engaging play and his commitment to nurturing their creativity.

The product uniquely combines fun and learning, allowing children to build various structures with magnetic pillows.

Before appearing on Shark Tank, Lewis launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund his venture, raising $3,107,079. By August 2021, the company began shipping the product.

Despite initial supply chain issues, Lewis applied his marketing expertise to overcome these challenges and get his business back on track. His resilience and innovative spirit have driven Fort’s journey before Shark Tank.

The Fort Shark Tank Pitch

Conor Lewis, the founder of The Fort, appeared on Shark Tank’s 13th season to present his innovative product: magnetic pillow fort cushions. He sought a $500,000 investment for 10% equity, valuing his company at $5 million.

The idea for FORT came to Lewis while helping his daughter build a pillow fort, noticing the hassle and potential damage to their couch cushions. This inspired him to create velcro-free magnetic cushions designed specifically for fort buildings.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Lewis sold $2 million worth of FORT products in just ten hours, proving there was strong market demand. However, his pitch to the sharks faced several hurdles.

The sharks pointed out significant operational issues, such as high production costs and ongoing shipping challenges, which nearly led to the business’s downfall. Additionally, the $500 price tag for a single set was seen as too high.

Another concern was that Kickstarter backers had not yet received their orders, making it difficult for the sharks to gauge customer satisfaction and product performance accurately. This lack of concrete success metrics made the sharks wary.

Kevin O’Leary was the first to drop out, citing numerous business issues.

Mark Cuban agreed, suggesting that while Lewis might overcome these challenges, his business highlighted common entrepreneurial pitfalls.

Guest shark Emma Grede also declined, stating the business was still unproven. Lori Greiner felt she had no unique value to add and chose not to invest.

The last shark, Robert Herjavec, struggled with his decision but ultimately decided against investing.

Despite a promising product and strong initial sales on Kickstarter, Lewis did not secure a deal, leaving FORT without shark backing.

However, the company still showed potential with its unique product and demonstrated market interest.

The Fort After Shark Tank

Following its appearance on Shark Tank, Fort saw a noticeable increase in visibility. This popular show provided extensive marketing, showcasing the product’s uniqueness to a global audience.

Although Fort did not secure a deal with any of the sharks, the company leveraged the attention and experienced a surge in orders.

Post-show, Fort’s sales rate quadrupled. Parents were particularly interested in the product for their children, viewing it as a fun, creative, and less messy alternative to traditional pillow forts.

However, Fort continued to face supply chain and shipping issues, which were apparent during the Shark Tank pitch. The spike in demand led to a backlog of orders on their website, causing customers to wait at least three weeks for order processing.

Despite these hurdles, the company remains committed to accepting orders and overcoming operational difficulties. Fort expanded its product line with new designs and color combinations to broaden its appeal.

Initially available in teal and black, the magnetic pillows are now offered in a range of colors, including purple, green, light blue, brown, beige, and yellow. This variety has catered to diverse customer preferences, sustaining interest in the product.

Fort also offers accessories like lights, blankets, suede covers, and carrying straps. These add-ons, priced between $15 and $67, have further enhanced the product’s playability and appeal.

Pillow Fort is available in various colors and sets of 12 cushions for $499 on its official website.

Currently, Fort continues to operate successfully, exceeding the expectations of its founder, Conor Lewis. Despite setbacks and lessons learned from the Shark Tank experience, the company is on a promising path.

Despite claiming $2 million in sales within ten hours after the Kickstarter campaign, high production costs and shipping issues posed challenges for the company.

Many parents began ordering the product for their children. Although the company faced supply and shipping issues, it continued to accept orders and expanded its production with new designs and color combinations.

While there have been some technical issues with backlogged orders on their website, Pillow Fort is still in business and ships within 3 to 4 weeks of placing an order.

Pillow Fort has shown promising growth and potential for success in its unique market. With continued innovation, effective marketing strategies, and a focus on customer satisfaction, the company aims to establish itself further in the industry.

The Fort has been running successfully for over two years since its launch in July 2020. Despite initial challenges faced by founder Conor B. Lewis, the company has managed to overcome obstacles and thrive.

The Fort gained significant recognition and popularity from its appearance on Shark Tank, which provided free marketing and highlighted the product’s uniqueness.

As a result, The Fort’s sales rate increased fourfold after the show aired. Many parents have been ordering this magnetic pillow toy for their children, indicating strong demand.

Although The Fort is not available on online marketplaces like Amazon, customers can purchase it directly from the official website, getthefort.com.

Our research indicates that The Fort’s net worth is estimated at $5 million. The valuation was $5 million when it appeared on Shark Tank.