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8-year-old wins over 'Shark Tank' panel with kid-friendly coffee — walks away with a life-changing deal

“Ethan really does like coffee. He has been stealing sips of mine since he was little," David Sanburn said.

Over the last couple of years, many kids have appeared on the ABC business program 'Shark Tank' to present their innovative business ideas and products. During an episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 16, 8-year-old Ethan Sanborn and his father, David Sanborn, pitched their kid-friendly coffee business, Kiid Coffee, a 99.9% caffeine-free product. Ethan often took sips from his dad’s coffee, but now he can enjoy a full cup himself—thanks to Kiid Coffee, which contains nutrients like prebiotic fiber and calcium.

As per Market Realist, David said on the episode, “Ethan really does like coffee. He has been stealing sips of mine since he was little," to which Ethan responded, "No, Dad, I don’t just like coffee, I love coffee." Kiid Coffee launched in April 2024 and was featured on 'Shark Tank' later that year. At the time of filming, Kiid Coffee had generated $75,000 in sales. On the show, David and his son, Ethan, were asking for $50,000 for a 5% stake in the company. The father-son duo shared that manufacturing cost of Kiid Coffee was $3.50, but it can be narrowed down to $2.80 with larger volume orders. The selling cost of the coffee stood at $14.

Kevin O'Leary was the first Shark to make an offer; he offered $50,000 for 30% equity. On the other hand, Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner teamed up for a joint deal of $50,000 for 20% equity. Following that, Daniel Lubetzsky also made an offer, with one condition attached. Lubetzky stated that if he committed to Kiid Coffee full-time, then he would get 5% in stock options. As the competition escalated, O'Leary reduced his equity to 15%. In the end, David and Ethan decided to accept Lubetsky's offer. Then, Lubetzky took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote, "I want to give one last congratulations to @kiidcoffee. You'll be seeing a lot more of them soon... Goodnight, Shark Tank fans, and I'll see you again soon for another episode of Shark Tank Season 16!"

In an interview with CNBC Make It following their appearance on 'Shark Tank,' David candidly spoke about Lubetzsky and went on to say, “He’s just, overall, a great human being. And then, the fact that he has massive consumer products, food experiences is very valuable [and] important as we move forward." Ethan currently helps with Kiid Coffee's social media marketing. The brand currently has over 10,000 followers on TikTok.

Every day, David and his son Ethan spend nearly 30 minutes going through customers' feedback and brainstorming new ideas. In the same interview, David shared that Ethan still manages to take time for things he loves doing. David further added, “Ethan is actually very interested in the business. But, at the same time … [my children] have the freedom to be like, ‘I need to go out and play for a little bit.’” Despite being in the early stage, Kiid Coffee is still thriving in the market.