No funding, but a job: Shark Tank India judge hires founder after pitch

In a surprising twist on Shark Tank India Season 5 Campus Special, entrepreneur and judge Pratham Mittal chose not to invest in a startup but instead offered a job to its founder, which has now been accepted. PeerX founder Priyansh Gupta will turn a missed funding deal into a new career opportunity by joining the Founders Office at Masters’ Union.

Conversation ending differently
What started as a regular financing pitch quickly took a different direction in the show. Priyansh Gupta, who founded PeerX, a platform focused on peer-to-peer learning and skills exchange, did not receive investment assurance from the panel.

But his approach and execution caught the attention of Pratham Mittal, who decided to make an offer beyond financing. In lieu of a check, Mittal invited Gupta to work closely with his team.

Priyansh, an alumnus of Bhilai Institute of Technology in Durg, has officially accepted the offer. He joined the Masters’ Union Founders Office, where he worked on product development and strategic initiatives.

Explaining his decision, Pratham Mittal said, “On Shark Tank, everyone comes looking for a check. But sometimes what a young founder really needs is not money but the right environment. Priyansh had hunger, instinct and a penchant for action. I felt that a role where he could work closely on real products could do more than just fund him right now.”
While the pitch didn’t end with an investment, it sparked an opportunity that could shape the founder’s trajectory in a more meaningful way. Sometimes the biggest gain is not in obtaining financing, but in finding the right place for construction.