Too broke for a fancy coffee maker, teen builds one with a mason jar — and lands huge deal on 'Shark Tank'
A 'Shark Tank' contestant came up with an innovative fix for cold brew coffee fans and impressed the panel. In a Season 10 episode of ‘Shark Tank,’ which aired in January 2019, 18-year-old Max Feber pitched BRUW, a mess-free cold brew filter, to Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Robert Herjavec to his company, BRUW, the mess-free cold brewing filter. At 15, Feber became passionate about coffee but found the cold brew process too difficult. He eventually solved the problem and presented his cold brew filter on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank.’ He sought $50,000 for 25% equity.
During his pitch, Feber said, "I've perfected a new way to make cold brew coffee at home without the need for complicated or overpriced equipment. When I was just 15 years old, I fell in love with coffee. I tried making it, I tried roasting it, and I did everything I could to learn more about it. One day, I stumbled across cold brew coffee, and I was dying to try it. If you're not familiar with cold brew, it's a type of coffee that's made in cold water instead of hot water. This doesn't extract the acidity out of the coffee bean, so it's smoother, it's sweeter, and some even find it easier on their stomachs."
Feber further added, "After watching countless videos online, I found that people use mason jars to make it themselves at home all the time. So that's why I tried, I took ground coffee and cold water, and I put it in a jar to let it sit in my fridge for 24 hours, and then I tried to filter it. I used a cheesecloth and pour-over paper towels, and it went everywhere. I made this whole mess all over my counter; my parents were mad, I didn't have my coffee, and I wasn't about to spend hundreds of dollars on a complicated cold brew coffee maker." He went to his garage, removed a screen door, and attached its mesh to two Mason jar lidsand BRUW was born.
Soon after, Feber handed over some samples of his cold brew coffee to the Sharks. Following that, Feber revealed that the cost of manufacturing his brewing device was $4, and he retailed it for $20. According to Food Republic, when asked about the sales, Feber quipped, "Last year, we did $50,000 in revenue, and this year, we're on track to do $100,000 in revenue." Cuban then asked Feber about his background, and he explained, "I'm in college. I just finished my first year at Babson College. I'm majoring in business."
Eventually, the Sharks came down to business, with O'Leary making the first offer of $50,000 for 50%. On the other hand, Greiner and Herjavec refused to invest in BRUW. Shortly afterward, John made an offer of $50,000 for 30%. Cuban wasn’t happy with the pricing and margins but still offered $50,000 for 30%. Feber quickly accepted Cuban’s offer and sealed the deal with a hug.
