Solsource
Dealsolar powered grill
Solsource is a solar powered grill that got its big break on Shark Tank in Season 9, and convinced Mark Cuban to invest.
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From the show
The Shark Tank pitch
- $500K
- Asked for
- 3%
- Offered equity
- $16.7M
- Sought valuation
- $500K
- Deal amount
- 4%
- Deal equity
- $12.5M
- Deal valuation
The team stepped onto the carpet in Season 9, Episode 22 in the episode that aired February 11, 2018. Solsource, the solar powered grill, pitched in the Home & Lifestyle category, one of 260 home & lifestyle businesses to brave the Tank across all 17 seasons.
The ask was $500,000 for 3% of the company, an implied valuation of $16.7M.
Mark Cuban made the deal at $500,000 for 4% equity. That priced the company at $12.5M, a haircut from the $16.7M the founders walked in asking for, which is how negotiations in the Tank usually go.
Season 9 saw 96 pitches, and 65 of them closed a deal on air. In the Home & Lifestyle category overall, roughly 68% of pitches have landed a shark across the show's history.
The full story
Everything to know about Solsource
SolSource is a parabolic solar cooker that uses a dish of reflective panels to focus sunlight onto a central cooking platform, reaching grilling temperatures with no fuel, fire, or smoke. It was made by One Earth Designs, co-founded by Dr. Catlin Powers, whose interest grew from research on indoor air pollution from cookstoves in rural Himalayan communities. The product aimed to bring that clean-cooking idea to backyards and off-grid users.
Powers pitched in Season 9 with an unusual ask: $500,000 for just 3 percent, implying a very high valuation. The science and the social-impact story impressed the room, but the slim equity offer made several sharks hesitate. Mark Cuban engaged most seriously and agreed to a deal close to her terms, putting up $500,000 for a small stake, betting on the technology and the mission behind it.
SolSource was memorable because it was genuinely different from the usual gadgets and snacks. A grill that runs on nothing but the sun, born out of public-health fieldwork, gave the segment a substance most pitches lack. The combination of hard engineering and a humanitarian backstory made it one of the more thoughtful products of the season.
Where Solsource is now
As with several deals that season, the agreement with Mark Cuban did not survive due diligence and was not completed. One Earth Designs continued for a time, but the consumer business proved difficult to sustain at scale. The high price of a large parabolic cooker and the practical limits of solar-only cooking made it a niche purchase rather than a mass-market grill.
The consumer side of One Earth Designs wound down, with the public-benefit corporation ceasing operations around the start of 2020 and the SolSource grill no longer in regular production for retail. Work tied to solar-thermal technology and humanitarian cooking continued through related nonprofit efforts, but the SolSource grill is no longer reliably available as a new consumer product.
Where to buy Solsource
The SolSource solar grill is no longer sold as a current consumer product, since the commercial operation behind it wound down around 2020. You will not find a dependable new listing on the official store or on Amazon, and any units that surface tend to be secondhand or old stock at varying condition and price. If you specifically want solar cooking, look instead at other parabolic cookers and solar ovens that are actively manufactured and supported, so you can get parts and service.
Is Solsource still in business?
Read our 2026 update on where the company is now.
Sold on Solsource?
Check today's price and availability before it swims away.
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Solsource?
Check current price and availability on Amazon. Note that some Shark Tank products are discontinued or sold under a new name.
Did Solsource get a deal on Shark Tank?
Yes. Solsource closed a deal for $500,000 in exchange for 4% equity, with Mark Cuban.
Which shark invested in Solsource?
Mark Cuban invested in Solsource ($500,000 total as aired).
What season of Shark Tank was Solsource on?
Solsource appeared in Season 9, Episode 22, which aired February 11, 2018.
How much was Solsource asking for on Shark Tank?
The founders asked for $500,000 for 3% of the company, a $16.7M valuation.
Can I still buy a SolSource solar grill?
Not reliably. The consumer business behind SolSource wound down around 2020, so it is no longer in regular production. Any units you find are typically used or leftover stock rather than supported new products.
Did SolSource close the deal with Mark Cuban?
No. The handshake deal with Mark Cuban did not make it through due diligence and was never finalized. The company continued for a while afterward but later wound down its consumer operations.
How does the SolSource cooker work?
It is a parabolic solar cooker. A dish lined with reflective panels concentrates sunlight onto a cooking platform at the center, generating enough heat to grill or fry without any fuel or open flame.
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