'Shark Tank' Season 15 fans fume as meme-turned-business Mini Materials misses deal despite good sales
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mini Materials has carved itself a position in the domain of the minuscule, where the whimsical meets the functional.
Mini Materials' mission as the world's premier tiny building firm is to ignite your creativity by delivering educational materials that make learning a hands-on experience.
The firm went on 'Shark Tank' Season 15 under its new owner, Jared Waters, but did not seal a deal leaving fans disappointed. Jared stepped in looking for $100,000 for 20% but left empty-handed.
Skeptical Sharks may have judged the niche for scaled-down construction materials as too small. Mini Materials, on the other hand, was already demonstrating its worth with a consistent monthly income of $20,000, according to Trep Talks.
Stunned fans took to X to react, "Mini Materials has done $200,000 in sales? Those are full-sized sales!" While another user chimed in, "MiniMaterials, good sales."
Mini Materials has done $200,000 in sales? Those are full-sized sales! #SharkTank
— Ryan Bartholomee (@RyanBartholomee) November 4, 2023
On Reddit, fans believe, "There's a huge market here for D&D players' overly-disposable incomes."
Another user believed, "I don’t understand this one but have a feeling that he will reach an audience that’ll be really exciting to buy these little materials. He will benefit from the Shark Tank effect even without a deal."
One relieved fan wrote, "Finally some unique products and not just another food or clothing." A fourth person commented, "As a D&D nerd, I can think of thousands of uses for terrain modeling and need to buy all of them. If this guy's smart he'd start calling up all the YouTube play shows and offering them promotional materials. Look at how much Dwarven Forge makes doing exactly that."
One fan argued, "I would have absolutely been interested in that; LEGO sold around $9 Billion (with a B) last year, and there are tons of adults who buy sets for themselves
mini model builders, train hobbyists, mini farm/construction/transportation RC enthusiasts.....they are VERY passionate about their hobbies and they have the disposable income to spend."
Others added, "this is not only a kids product. I know a older guy who is part of a hobby group and the stuff they build is amazing. This is right up their ally. Some of them would make a remote control fork like to move that pallet. If he hits the right trade shows, he will get good traction."
Who founded Mini Materials?
Mini Materials began in 2015 as the idea of Mat Hofma and Erik Polumbo. Erik is a real estate broker and serial entrepreneur, while Mat is an art director.
They identified a market gap for realistic, scaled-down construction materials. Who is their intended audience? Hobbyists, experts, and dreamers all work together to create miniature architectural wonders.
Their product line grew over time, but the sizes remained tiny. They were already selling nearly 150 distinct things by 2022. With only five employees, they sold over 250,000 cement products and increased total revenues by 12% in that one year.
Where to buy Mini Materials?
Their choices range from bespoke cinder blocks to red bricks and wood pallets that can be personalized with a brand, and they have an excellent 5-star rating from over 460 reviews.
But it's not only about the raw materials; the firm also creates street signs, furniture, and ornamental components to give any tiny project life and authenticity.
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'Shark Tank' Season 15 airs Fridays on ABC at 8 pm ET
For those who miss the episode, it will be available on demand the following day and on Hulu. Additionally, viewers can explore past seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.
