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After a five-year hiatus, Shark Tank Australia is returning to 10, and there are five new Sharks to meet. The new judges, aka Sharks, are all leaders of business in their own right, and are excited to hear the fresh ideas that innovative Aussies have been cooking up since Shark Tank Australia was last on the air.
Shark Tank has a reputation worldwide for helping budding business owners realise their full potential. The American version of the franchise has played a role in launching household names such as Scrub Daddy, a product that is now stocked internationally. Closer to home, Australian startup Car Next Door found success on the series in 2015, and the business has since been procured by Uber.
Whether you manage to secure an investment from the Sharks or not, the publicity alone has the potential to propel your business forward. So, if you possess an exciting business idea, it’s time to get your pitch in order.
But first, here’s what we know about Shark Tank Australia’s new judges, so you can adjust your pitch accordingly!
Shark Tank Australia 2023: Meet the Sharks
Sabri Suby
Motto: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”.
Net Worth: $75 million
Age: 39
Sabri Suby’s staff describe him as “intense but fair”. Now, the founder of King Kong Digital Marketing agency and self-proclaimed “stepfather of marketing” is ready to bring his skills to Shark Tank Australia.
But how did he get here? Sabri was raised in a single parent family, and says that watching his mother struggle to make ends meet was a major motivation for him to become successful in business.
Career-wise, his journey began in a call centre, where his boss called him “s**t”. Sabri was over it, and decided to forge his own path. He created a marketing agency that has made 58 people millionaires since its launch.
His success has gained him a lot of attention over the years — King Kong has made the Australian Financial Review‘s Fast Starters list twice. Sabri has also written a book titled Sell Like Crazy: How to Get As Many Clients, Customers and Sales As You Can Possibly Handle, which you can purchase here.
When it comes to Shark Tank, Sabri says that while he loves the international franchises, he feels that previous seasons of Shark Tank Australia have been a bit of a letdown. He doesn’t think that the show did a good job of representing the country, either in the audience or in the market. Now, he’s ready to help change that, and as a Shark, viewers can expect Sabri to go after what he wants with ferocity.
Dr Catriona Wallace
Motto: “Leave the world better than you found it.”
Net Worth: $103 million
Age: 57
Dr Catriona Wallace’s is an expert and world-renowned authority in artificial intelligence. She founded the Responsible Metaverse Alliance and is an advocate for ethical AI practices. She’s also been recognised as the Most Influential Woman in Business and Entrepreneurship by the AFR.
Catriona is a mum of five children, but she’s a matriarch and leader in her career, as well. Unafraid to stand her ground, she one turned down a board of investors offering her a million dollars because they asked her to remove her nose ring.
It’s not just AI that Catriona is interested in, though. She’s also passionate about gender equality, diversity, inclusion and ethical investments in business. On Shark Tank Australia, she wants to champion minorities and help them achieve their goals.
Related: “It’s Just Inevitable”: A Mildly Terrifying Conversation About AI With Dr Catriona Wallace
David Fogarty
Motto: “Making dreams come true in and through the business.”
Net Worth: $500 million
Age: 27
You can thank David Fogarty for keeping you warm, because this business tycoon heads up the Davie Group, which oversees 10 brands — including The Oodie.
Adelaide-born Davie may have gone from $500 to $500 million in just five years, but his success doesn’t faze him. In fact, he’s more than happy to share his insights! Davie is huge on social media, and when he’s not busy running his businesses, he offers a free guide to building ecommerce businesses on YouTube, where he has over 230K followers.
He prides himself on being calm, mature, and intelligent, and now, he’s ready to step into the Tank.
Davie is a huge fan of Shark Tank, so the prospect of becoming a Shark himself is very exciting. On the show, viewers can expect to see Davie invest in the products and ideas he finds most exciting — the ones he can offer his Midas touch to.
Jane Lu
Motto: “If you imagine it, it can be done.”
Net Worth: $55 million
Age: 37
Owner of online boutique Showpo, Jane Lu knows firsthand the struggles of starting a small business without any tangible capital. The energetic businesswoman often shares the story of how she started her e-commerce brand on her social media. She is also the co-founder of Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine on Facebook, a community of women entrepreneurs with over 170K members.
Deeply competitive by nature, Jane first trained as an accountant, but it wasn’t an especially fulfilling career. Then, she began selling clothes out of her garage in 2011. At the time, it was a move that horrified her parents, but as the business blossomed into what is now Showpo, Jane was able to change their minds. The fact that she paid off their mortgage and bought them a car didn’t hurt, either! In fact, Jane has hit the AFR Rich List every year since 2017.
Jane never saw herself doing reality TV until she got the call from Shark Tank Australia. It was the perfect fit for her, but there was one snag — she was heavily pregnant at the time. Jane said that she’d sign up for Shark Tank Australia as soon as her baby was born.
After welcoming her daughter Rosalie in October 2022, Jane was ready to step into the Tank. Rosalie is Jane’s second child with husband Jame Waldie. Their son Lachlan was born in August 2020.
Robert Herjavec
Motto: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
Net Worth: $1 billion
Age: 60
You might recognise our final Shark of the season from the American franchise of Shark Tank. Robert Herjavec has invested the equivalent of over $23 million AUD in startups and pitches during his 14 seasons on Shark Tank USA.
As one of the original Sharks, Robert is ready to see what the Aussies have in store for him. If he sees something he likes, you can expect him to put his money where his mouth is and go after what he wants. After all, this is the man who once invested five million dollars into a single company, off the back of an incredible pitch.
Australia also holds a special place in Robert’s heart. After all, as he puts it: “If it weren’t for Australia I wouldn’t have met the love of my life.”
Robert is married to Kym Johnson, an Australian dancer who you may know from Dancing With the Stars and Celebrity Apprentice. They split their year between Australia and the US, and recently purchased a home in Rose Bay.
Now, Robert is excited to “give something back” to the country he loves so much, and is ready to “complete the trifecta” by becoming a Shark on Shark Tank Australia.
Shark Tank Australia airs at 7.30pm on Tuesdays, only on 10 and 10 Play on Demand. Miss an episode? Catch up on 10 Play.
Want more Shark Tank Australia? Read all our content here, and check out the stories below:
- Want to Dive into ‘Shark Tank Australia’? We’ve Got the Scoop
- ‘Shark Tank Australia’ 2023: Meet the Sharks Ready to Back Aussie Entrepreneurs
- “It’s Just Inevitable”: A Mildly Terrifying Conversation About AI With Dr Catriona Wallace
- ‘Shark Tank Australia’ AI Expert Dr Catriona on the Hollywood Strikes
- Dr Catriona Wallace on What’s in Store for ‘Shark Tank Australia’ Fans
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