SmartSweets

Tara Bosch of Vancouver, BC asked for $100,000 for 10% of SmartSweets, a company making candy, starting with gummy bears, that uses natural fruit extracts, tapioca and chicory root instead of sugar, sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, with two grams of sugar and 24 grams of plant-based fibre per bag. The candy retails for $3.99 to $4.99, costs $1.19 to produce, and sells to retailers at $2.67 with a 54% wholesale margin; the company launched in August, is sold through Popeye's Supplements, Bed Bath & Beyond, Whole Foods and Pharmasave, and had done $453,000 in sales with a projection of over $1 million in its first 12 months. Tara Bosch had invested $15,000 of her own savings plus $105,000 in debt financing from BDC, Futurpreneur, the Women's Enterprise Centre and Vancity.

Joe Mimran offered $100,000 for 10%. Michael Wekerle offered $100,000 for 8%. Manjit Minhas offered $100,000 for 5%, and Michele Romanow withdrew her own consideration to join Manjit's offer. Jim Treliving offered $200,000 for 10%, arguing that a larger stake would ensure more attention from him, and Tara Bosch accepted Jim Treliving's offer.

Tara Bosch pitched SmartSweets, a sugar-free candy company, in Season 9. She later sold the company for $360 million and, as of this Season 20 special, has launched a new venture called Snackish and a mentorship program called Bold Beginnings for female founders under 40.