Clapstore toys

Yash Thombare (22) and Vedang Nalawade (21) are Season 4's youngest all-Shark-deal founders and among the youngest entrepreneurs ever to secure investment from all five Sharks on Shark Tank India. Starting Clapstore Toys in 2020 during COVID (when screen time among children skyrocketed), these two Pune friends observed that the pandemic had created a digital addiction crisis among children aged 0 to 6: toddlers and preschoolers spending hours daily on tablets and smartphones, missing critical developmental milestones that require physical, tactile, hands-on play. "Our mission is simple: encourage more play and less screen time," the founders stated, capturing the brand philosophy in seven words. Their personal observation of young relatives and neighbours' children becoming increasingly screen-dependent during lockdowns crystallised the founding urgency.

Clapstore Toys' flagship Busy Board is India's first portable, wooden, Montessori-inspired tactile learning toy designed specifically for screen-free child development. Each board contains multiple interactive elements (buckles, zippers, ties, latches, buttons, snaps) that children manipulate with their fingers, developing the fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive problem-solving abilities that screen-based entertainment cannot develop. The Montessori philosophy underpinning the product design is scientifically grounded: Maria Montessori's research demonstrated that children learn most effectively through self-directed, hands-on interaction with physical objects, not through passive consumption of digital content. Every Clapstore toy is designed to let children explore, experiment, and discover at their own pace, building neural pathways through tactile engagement.

Amount Asked: ₹80 lakhs Equity Offered: 4% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹20 crore

Yash and Vedang delivered Season 4 Episode 22's most heartwarming pitch through a masterstroke demonstration strategy: rather than showing slides about child development, they brought actual children onto the Shark Tank stage to play with Clapstore busy boards in real time. Watching toddlers manipulate buckles, zippers, and latches with intense concentration and visible joy was the most powerfully persuasive product demonstration of the season: no sales pitch could replicate the sight of a child genuinely engaged in screen-free tactile play. The Sharks were initially sceptical (the educational toy market is crowded with unproven concepts) but the live demonstration converted every doubter. Anupam Mittal praised the premium look and feel of the products. Vineeta Singh found the concept "very different and cool." Peyush Bansal was particularly impressed by the founders' energy, vision, and ability to learn quickly. Aman Gupta and Kunal Bahl recognised the growth potential in the educational toy segment.

Anupam Mittal praised the premium quality, look, and branding of the busy boards. Vineeta Singh called the concept "very different and cool," appreciating both the product innovation and the social mission of reducing children's screen time. Peyush Bansal was particularly impressed by the founders' energy, vision, and fast learning ability. Kunal Bahl recognised the growth potential in the educational toy segment and the founders' commercial maturity despite their young age. Aman Gupta initially offered ₹40 lakhs for 4% equity plus ₹40 lakhs debt at 10% for 3 years, then joined the all-Shark coalition at ₹1 crore for 10% when all five Sharks expressed interest.

Season 4 Episode 22's most unanimously enthusiastic negotiation. Founders asked ₹80L for 4% (₹20 crore). Aman offered ₹40L equity plus ₹40L debt. As all five Sharks expressed interest, they joined forces: ₹1 crore for 10% equity from all five Sharks (₹10 crore valuation). Founders accepted. The valuation dropped 50% from ₹20 crore to ₹10 crore, and equity increased 2.5x from 4% to 10%, but the founders secured India's most comprehensive possible investor syndicate: consumer electronics marketing (Aman), consumer product scaling (Peyush), female consumer engagement (Vineeta), digital platform expertise (Anupam), and marketplace distribution (Kunal), all investing in one screen-free children's toy brand.

Yash Thombare and Vedang Nalawade accepted the all-five-Shark deal of ₹1 crore for 10% equity at ₹10 crore valuation from Peyush Bansal, Anupam Mittal, Vineeta Singh, Kunal Bahl, and Aman Gupta. Season 4's youngest all-Shark-deal founders (21 and 22) secured India's most comprehensively backed children's educational toy brand, with five Sharks collectively bringing consumer product marketing, D2C scaling, marketplace distribution, female consumer engagement, and digital platform expertise into a Pune-based wooden busy board startup that has already reached 50,000 families.

"Our immediate priorities include launching new product lines that encourage hands-on learning, motor skill development, and creativity in children," Vedang shared post-deal. "To ensure easy accessibility for parents, Clapstore Toys is expanding its digital footprint by strengthening its presence on Amazon and D2C platforms." Clapstore Toys continues executing its growth plan with all-Shark backing. The ₹1 crore investment is being deployed across product development (new educational toy categories beyond busy boards), digital distribution (Amazon, own website, quick commerce platforms like Blinkit and Zepto), and brand building (converting Shark Tank visibility into sustained consumer awareness). "Yash and Vedang emphasized that securing an all-Shark deal reflected the confidence of top investors in their vision. They highlighted that the investment would accelerate their growth, enabling them to reach more families and create innovative, screen-free play solutions."