The Peep Show on 'Shark Tank': Price and how to buy smart birdhouse that can stream video directly to phones
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: A smart birdhouse made in Seattle will feature in an episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 15 on Friday, February 16 at 8 pm ET.
Bird enthusiasts, design nerds, and admirers of mini-success stories will like The Peep Show, a fashionable home with room for nesting birds and a camera to capture the action.
During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Steve Gray started manufacturing birdhouses as a passion project. Four years later, he secured a coveted slot on season 15 of ABC's hit reality show, where he'll pitch the idea to potential investors.
(ABC/Christopher Willard)
As reported by USA Today, the show receives between 35,000 and 40,000 applications every season. Out of them, around 1,000 progress to the second stage of screening.
Steve couldn't go into detail about the filmed show or how he fared, but he was excited to make the cut.
What is The Peep Show?
In a world where technology pervades every area of our lives, Seattle resident Steve has given birdhouses an inventive twist, making them into a contemporary, interactive, and award-winning product.
His concept, The Peep Show, effortlessly integrates utility with Scandinavian-inspired style, garnering the prestigious Red Dot Award for Product style in 2023.
This renowned international award celebrates The Peep Show's brilliance in product design. Steve, the creator of The Peep Show, writes, "Our birdhouse now proudly holds its little head high among previous winners like Apple, Porsche Design Studio, and Maserati--and it’s a birdhouse!"
As the name indicates, The Peep Show provides a 'peep' into the rarely observed world of birds breeding and raising their babies. The nesting box employs commonly accessible smart-home cameras to provide high-definition footage to your smartphone or tablet.
"It's the idea of a smart home applied to a bird's home, and it works wonderfully well," Steve told Greek Wire.
The Peep Show is designed to meet stringent ornithological criteria, and the video birdhouse is built completely in the United States of America from ecologically friendly materials.
It was conceived, tested, and built in Seattle, Washington.
"When it came to the design, I knew I wanted something that instantly signaled to viewers that they were looking at something different," Steve said.
The Peep Show aims to make birdwatching more accessible, enjoyable, and ecologically responsible for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Steve's invention is not your average birdhouse. It has a camera that captures live bird video, allowing users to monitor their winged visitors without disturbing them.
The Peep Show provides more than just a safe haven for birds; it is also an environment developed with their health in mind. It has a climbing wall, appropriate ventilation, and a raised nesting platform, all of which help to keep the birds safe and comfortable.
Who is the founder of The Peep Show?
In a city known for its vibrant birding community and technological ingenuity, it's no wonder that a Seattle entrepreneur is making waves on 'Shark Tank' with his brainchild, The Peep Show, a smart birdhouse. The design was inspired by the inventor's 95-year-old grandpa, Chuck, who had always wanted to peek inside the birdhouses that surrounded their family's Alaska home.
Founder Steve was clear about the significance of the birds' well-being, and his product reflects this devotion with deliberately planned elements. "With The Peep Show design, my goal was to create a birdhouse that Steve Jobs himself would have liked to have in his backyard," he stated.
"The health and well-being of baby birds is at the forefront of everything we do—and being selected from among thousands of worthy applicants to share our birdhouse on The Shark Tank is beyond exciting," said Steve.
As a birder, Steve is especially concerned with ensuring that his product does not interfere with the natural movements of the many different species that visit his home. Steve has committed a floor of his South Seattle home to the manufacturing of The Peep Show, which includes some high-end consumer-grade 3D printers that run around the clock.
Along the process, Steve was assigned a mentor from SCORE, a Seattle-based charity that assists small company owners in getting started. Herman Miller, the company that makes modern home and office furniture, provided the mentorship.
"He took one look at this product and said, 'We are no longer making birdhouses, we are making objects of art. You do not price this as a birdhouse,'" Steve said.
What is the cost and how to buy The Peep Show?
The pricing represents Steve's efforts on the project. The Peep Show is available on the company's website for $199 as a standalone gadget without the camera or $299 with a Blink outside camera package that allows customers to stream bird video directly to their smartphones.
Other camera-enabled homes and feeders on the market, such as the Birdfy Nest, have comparable costs. According to Steve, those that are priced very low do not have the birds' best interests in mind.
"I wanted to be very environmentally conscious, and I have found that this price point is what it takes to produce an object like this," Steve said. "I can trim costs, but I can’t drop them in half, because I think I would be doing my customers—I consider birds my customers as well—a disservice."
The Peep Show's net worth is estimated at $38,000. Steve launched this firm three and a half months ago, therefore there have not been many sales, leaving not many reviews about the product.
Some individuals are eager to watch what birds do in the birdhouse so that they may use this product.
Where is The Peep Show now?
What began as a project during the early COVID-19 pandemic has now earned a slot in the fifteenth season of the reality show 'Shark Tank'. Despite the show's extremely competitive application procedure, Steve's unique concept and execution earned him the opportunity to sell his invention to potential investors on February 16.
The Peep Show is still in operation as of February 2024. There are no significant brands that offer birdhouses with cameras inside.
As a result, this firm may scale. This firm presently employs one to ten individuals.
Who will steal the deal?
Steve will enter 'Shark Tank' and want $250,000 in exchange for 20% stock from the Sharks. Kevin O'Leary may want out since he does not fit in with the community.
Robert Herjavec is not in the animal or bird industry, thus he may not have anything to contribute. Lori Greiner may not regard the business as an investment opportunity, thus she may decline to make an offer.
Mark Cuban may not see this firm developing, thus he will not profit from it, and he will most likely want to out. Barbara Corcoran may not want to invest, either.
While the concept is nice, there are other birdhouses with cameras on the market, so it is not particularly unique. This may put the Sharks off.
While we believe the Sharks will be impressed with the product, we doubt Steve will receive any offers.
'Shark Tank' Season 15, Episode 14, airs on ABC on Friday, February 16, at 8 pm ET. Catch the latest episode featuring products like The Peep Show, Flora, How to be a Redhead, and Splashzen.
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.