Guess the Startup Entrepreneurs
This Entrepreneur and his co-founders started Airbnb by renting out air mattresses in their apartment to help pay rent. The idea came from a simple observation: People needed short-term lodging when hotels were full. To fund the business early on, they sold novelty cereal boxes during the 2008 election. Who is he?
Brian Chesky
What refers to resources besides money (i.e. mentorship, connections, service, or supplies)?
In-kind Support
This sponge changes its texture depending on what temperature your water is
Scrub Daddy
All 5 sharks wanted to invest in this company, but after the breathalyzer's accuracy failed, the company shut down.
Breathometer
What was the number 1 startup in 2025
What is OpenAI (OpenAI is the pioneer for this new era of AI, creating and commercializing large language models faster than any company in history. OpenAI is also the creator of ChatGPT)
Visionary behind Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, continuously pushing boundaries in renewable energy and space exploration. Who is he?
Elon Musk
Who is a person who helps a startup and does their best to maximize its success? They provide value in the form of connections, time, and expertise, and are often compensated with equity.
Advisor
The sharks never reached a deal with this company when they appeared on the show, but it became one of the most profitable home security systems in the world.
Ring
This company secured $250,000 from Mark Cuban, but got into legal trouble and shut down.
Sweet ballz
What was the number 2 startup in 2025
What is Anthropic(Anthropic is an AI safety company that creates research systems to mitigate risk for businesses, government, non-profits, etc.)
This entrepreneur immigrated to the United States from Ukraine and lived on food stamps as a teenager. He taught himself computer programming and later worked at Yahoo. He launched WhatsApp in 2009 as a simple messaging app that avoided ads and focused on user privacy. The app grew rapidly through word of mouth, and in 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion. Who is he?
Jan Koum
What is the stock issued to a company's founders that provides a way to manage control and ownership?
Founders Share
These disposable wipes are catered towards men.
Dude wipes
This soap company tried to make fun-shaped soap, but eventually failed.
You smell soap
What was the number 3 startup in 2025
What is Perplexity AI(Perplexity AI, similar to ChatGPT, is a general search engine that uses LLMs to fast search the internet to provide quick answers to questions given to it)
Founder of Nykaa, revolutionizing India’s e-commerce with her focus on beauty and lifestyle retail. Who is she?
Falguni Nayar
What is the ownership in a company expressed as a percentage in shares of stock?
Equity
This brand creates protein-packed pancakes for their customers.
Kodiak cakes
This company made a toolbox with lights, chargers, and speakers.
Coolbox
What was the number 4 startup in 2025
What is Anduril Industries(Anduril Industries is a military defense company that finds problems in defense technology and develops solutions allowing for quick turnaround, saving government and taxpayer dollars)
Central force in Zoho Corporation, demonstrating the power of bootstrapped success in global SaaS platforms. Who is she?
Radha Vembu
What refers to the day-to-day operations of a company?
Business as Usual (BAU)
This sock brand donates money to charity for every sock sold.
Bombas
This company made a product that made people wake up to the smell of bacon.
Wake n bake
What was the number 5 startup in 2025
What is Mistral AI( Mistral AI partners with large corporations tailoring AI systems to each company making the most efficient systems for their customers)