Pinblock is line of children’s building blocks. What makes them unique is that all the blocks are the same shape but come with pivot points, which make the blocks “flexible” and able to create 3D designs. The young inventor of PinBlock, 21-year-old Ukraine-born Vlad Smolyanskyy, pitched his business on Shark Tank in January 2017. He went into the Tank seeking an investment of $100,000 in exchange for 20 percent equity. He left with a 50/50 partnership with Kevin O’Leary, who has a wealth of experience in the toy industry.
One month after his appearance on Shark Tank, Vlad posted a selfie with two kids behind him. “Testing the new Pinblock prototypes! New sets coming soon,” he wrote. Nine months after that, on Cyber Monday, November 27, Vlad wrote: “We don’t have much inventory in stock but we can’t leave you hanging without a deal,” and offered followers a one-day-only 25% off Amazon special on all Pinblock Freestyle sets. Freestyle sets, which come in Metallic, Pastel, Rainbow, and Nature themes, include 1000 pieces and usually retail for $39.99. New episodes of Shark Tank (Season 9) air Sundays at 9pm on ABC. [Related: 27 Favorite ‘Shark Tank’ Products]
