How we check a deal

A handshake on TV is an intention. A closed deal is a share allotment, a loan agreement, or a founder and a shark both saying the money moved. We record which one we have seen, and where.

The statuses

1. Closed A registry filing names the shark or the shark’s investment company as a shareholder, or a charge is registered for a debt deal. A written confirmation from the founder or the shark also counts. In India the forms are PAS-3 (allotment) and MGT-7 (annual return).
2. Closed, terms changed Same proof, but the amount, equity, or structure differs from what aired.
3. Looks closed Press or a data vendor reports the round, or the registry shows a new nominee director or a capital increase after the air date. We have not seen the allotment itself.
4. Nothing yet We searched and found nothing either way. Indian filings can lag the transaction by 12 to 18 months. This is not a claim that the deal fell through.
5. Looks like it fell through The founder, the shark, or credible press says it did not go through.
6. Did not close Confirmed by a party to the deal, or no allotment after the filing window has passed.
7. No company found Some pitches are sole proprietorships. They cannot issue shares until they incorporate, so a deal would need a new company first.
8. Not checked yet We have not finished the checks, or the first pass could not identify the company. No claim either way.

Where the data comes from

• Episode lists and on-air terms: Wikipedia season pages (CC BY-SA 4.0) as a lead list, cross-checked against broadcaster episode guides. We write our own descriptions.
• Indian companies: Ministry of Corporate Affairs records via public company-check sites, plus paid MCA document access for allotment and annual-return forms.
• US companies (coming): SEC EDGAR Form D filings, state business registries, and USPTO trademark status.
• Press: outlets that cite filings or company statements. Fan sites are logged but never used as proof.
• People: founders and shark teams, by email. We quote only with permission.

Is the company still going?

That is a separate ladder. Tiers 1 to 3 count as verified, 4 to 5 as likely, 6 to 7 as unconfirmed.

1. Registry status is active.
2. A statutory filing in the last 24 months.
3. A live trademark with a declaration of use.
4. A live checkout or in-stock listing seen in the last 90 days.
5. Dated press or data-vendor coverage.
6. Social activity in the last 90 days.
7. Web-archive change only.

What we will not do

• Publish revenue or valuation figures without a filing or a named source.
• Scrape sites whose terms forbid it. Crunchbase, Tracxn, and LinkedIn are read by hand and cited.
• Use show logos, stills, or clips.
• Sell products from the companies we track.

Photos and logos

Shark portraits come from Wikimedia Commons under their stated licences, credited on each shark page. Company marks are the companies’ own site icons, shown only to identify them. We use no show logos, stills, or clips. Ask and we will remove or replace an image.

Corrections

Email corrections@afterpitch.club with a link or a document. We update within a week and log the change on the company page with the date.