On the latest episode of Shark Tank India, founders Harshit and Manali pitched their lifestyle accessories brand, Hexafun, hoping to secure ₹1 crore for 4% equity, valuing the business at ₹25 crore. However, the panel of sharks rejected the pitch, citing issues with quality, pricing, branding, and overall business viability.
Hexafun specializes in handkerchiefs, socks, and other accessories, but its high pricing—above competitors like Jockey—drew criticism. Before their pitch, the founders gifted the sharks customized handkerchiefs, which backfired when Namita Thapar spotted a typo. “I appreciate the love with which you’ve given the hanky to me, but I’m not going to wear something with a spelling mistake. You’re spread too thin, you’re trying to do too much at once,” she said.
Namita also took issue with the brand’s name, Hexafun. “I always cite the example of Zerodha – zero means zero, and ‘rodha’ in Sanskrit means ‘hurdle’. Zerodha is such a beautiful word, and you can instantly connect it to the business. But your name is so difficult to understand,” she explained.
When Manali attempted to justify the name, Aman Gupta cut her off with, “Puri zindagi explain hi karte reh jaoge.”
Aman was skeptical about their focus on handkerchiefs, calling it a “dying category.” He questioned their financial viability, asking, “I will be shocked if you tell us you’re making money.”
The founders admitted to burning over ₹6 crore—including ₹4 crore of their own funds and over ₹2 crore from friends and family—in five years.
Kunal Bahl advised the duo to re-evaluate their entire business strategy. “Every start-up hits a ‘point of reckoning’ where they need to regroup,” he said, recalling a similar phase in his own entrepreneurial journey a decade ago.
Anupam Mittal’s feedback was the harshest. Criticizing a product with visible loose threads, he said, “Itna low quality.” He also ridiculed their suitcase cover, asking, “Why would anyone buy ₹3000 ke kapde for ₹5000 ka suitcase?”.
