Shark Tank Malta is being used as a spectacle for a couple of local business people to showcase their bravado more than as a real show for startups pitching contests. At least this is the story of Mark Bajada who has asked for government support for an investment he pledged but didn’t make.
I’ve also watched the show and it seems to be a choreographed affair rather than as a real pitch. Alexiei Dingli asks for €1 million for an idea without presenting any figures and supposedly, expects the panel to trust him. Mark Bajada comes out with an offer without much inquiries and right on spot he offers €1.3 million. Their are hardly any discussion about figures and it’s a far cry from the original Shark Tank shows where the founder is heavily scrutinised and challenged on their idea and their figures.
It all looks so ridiculous, and even more ridiculous is that the Nationalist Party is supporting this grift. In fact, I’ve been contacted by several other contestants who were promised investments by Mark Bajada, and these deals didn’t go through given that he made a completely differ offer from the one which he made on the show.
Shark Tank is one of the very few places where startup founders can have a voice and an opportunity, so it’s very jarring to see a “venture capitalist” leech off this scene to rub his ego. Can’t have anything which is untainted by ridiculous opportunists who make a clown show of themselves and everything they touch.
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