Space Traveler - Shark Tank Update

Every parent knows the chaos that ensues when children are confined together during long car rides, and this universal frustration sparked 'momtrepreneurs' Krissy Pruske and Rachel Lincoln to develop Space Traveler, an innovative backseat divider designed to give kids their own personal space while traveling. Their entrepreneurial journey began with desperate attempts to find solutions using household items like laundry hampers and collapsible dog kennels, eventually evolving into a sophisticated tent-like design featuring mesh windows for visibility, strategic seatbelt cutouts for safety, and convenient pockets for storing toys and snacks.

The Space Traveler addressed a genuine pain point experienced by countless families: the inevitable sibling conflicts that arise from forced proximity in confined car spaces, while also providing parents with peace of mind knowing their children were safely secured and entertained in their own designated areas. The product's thoughtful engineering included collapsible construction for easy storage when not in use, making it practical for families who needed space-saving solutions in their vehicles, while the mesh windows maintained the important family connection that parents wanted during travel time.

Having experienced previous disappointment with licensing companies that had stolen and rebranded their earlier inventions, Krissy and Rachel were specifically seeking a trustworthy partner who would honor their intellectual property rights and work collaboratively rather than exploit their innovations. Seeking $100,000 for 33% equity and valuing their child travel safety company at approximately $300,000, the entrepreneurial mothers entered Season 11 with only a prototype but big dreams of character licensing partnerships that could transform their simple solution into a branded product line that would resonate with children and parents across the travel and automotive accessories market.

Barbara Corcoran emerged as the sole interested investor after the other Sharks expressed concerns about the early-stage nature of the business, the lack of market testing, and potential patent conflicts with existing products, ultimately offering exactly what the entrepreneurs requested: $100,000 for 33% equity plus a $2 per unit royalty until she recovered her initial investment. Barbara's willingness to invest despite admitting she didn't fully understand the product was based on her previous success with seemingly unconventional items like The Original Comfy, which had generated $150 million in sales, demonstrating her ability to recognize market potential even when the concept initially seemed puzzling.

The entrepreneurs immediately accepted Barbara's deal, recognizing that her track record with consumer products and her retail connections could provide the guidance and distribution channels necessary to transform their prototype into a commercially viable product.

However, like many Shark Tank deals, the agreement with Barbara ultimately failed to close during the due diligence process, leaving Krissy and Rachel to pursue their business goals independently without the benefit of Shark partnership or investment capital. Following their television appearance, Space Traveler managed to bring their product to market and achieved their first inventory sell-out in December 2020, suggesting initial consumer demand and validation of their concept during a period when family travel patterns were significantly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unfortunately, our research shows that Space Traveler went out of business sometime after 2020, with the company failing to restock inventory despite maintaining their website, demonstrating that even products addressing genuine consumer needs can struggle to achieve sustainable operations without adequate funding, strategic partnerships, or the operational expertise necessary to navigate the challenges of scaling a physical product business in competitive retail markets.