Aussie ecom stars enter the shark tank

The investors and judges of  Shark Tank Australia have been announced with e-boutique Showpo founder and CEO Jane Lu, and Davie Fogarty, the ecommerce expert who runs 10 consumer brands including The Oodie joining the mix.

The television show sees aspiring entrepreneurs present a product or service to a group of investors known as ‘Sharks’, for capital in return for a share of their company. Based on a 2001 Japanese show called Money Tigers, followed by Dragons’ Den in the UK the same year, Shark Tank launched in 2009 in the United States. The show is responsible for the success of Ring, Bombas, Scrub Daddy, and Manscaped among others. The Australian iteration of the show launched in 2015 and last aired a season in 2018.

Jane Lu and Davie Fogarty join the judges lineup alongside Sabri Suby, the founder of King Kong Digital Marketing Agency; Dr. Catriona Wallace, AI expert and founder of the Responsible Metaverse Alliance, and Robert Herjavec, a recurring investor from the American version of the show who has invested over $20 million across 14 seasons.

Jane Lu expressed her excitement to join the team on LinkedIn, “Shark Tank is the most incredible show in helping dreams come true, and I am so excited to be able to be part of this journey! I want to help businesses that sell online get to that next level of growth through my expertise and experience in retail, marketing and building a strong brand,” she wrote. At only 28 years old, Adelaide based Davie Fogarty similarly shared his excitement writing, “Excited to be one of the youngest ever Sharks on Shark Tank Australia!”

“’Shark Tank brings together five business superstars, who are ready to put their own cash on the line and turn the next big idea into a profitable venture,’ begins the official press release for the rebooted fan favourite,” read a release by Channel 10 earlier this month, seeking contestant applications.

‘If you’re a budding entrepreneur with a great business idea and want to take a chance to change your life, casting is now open,’ it continues.

‘It could be the most important pitch of your life’.

Daniel Monaghan, SVP Content and Programming, Paramount Australia and New Zealand, said: “We’re so excited to bring the world’s number one business show back to Aussie screens. Our five new Sharks come from diverse sectors of business, and their backgrounds and journeys to success are nothing short of inspirational. We can’t wait for them to share their knowledge and provide invaluable take aways to the entrepreneurs who enter the Tank.”

Applications to appear on the show and pitch to the expert panel are open now.

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