BRUW Coffee - Shark Tank Update

The entrepreneurial spark of an 18-year-old high school student illuminated the Tank when Max Feber presented his ingenious solution to cold brew coffee's most frustrating problems: mess, complexity, and time consumption that plagued home brewing enthusiasts. His BRUW coffee filter represented elegant simplicity at its finest-a patent-pending double-sided mason jar lid with an integrated filter that transformed the tedious cold brewing process into an effortless gravity-based system using just two mason jars, eliminating equipment complexity while delivering smooth, less acidic coffee that coffee shops charged premium prices for.

Having launched through a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $10,000, Max had already demonstrated market validation with his $19.99-$34.99 filter system that cost only $4 to produce, targeting the growing cold brew market where cafes charged $2-3 premiums per cup for the specialized brewing method. Seeking $50,000 for 25% equity and valuing his innovative coffee company at $200,000, Max entered Shark Tank Season 10 as a full-time college student with $50,000 in sales the previous year and projections to hit $100,000, armed with a freshly approved patent and the confidence of someone who had been watching Shark Tank since age eight, ready to transform how America brewed coffee at home.

The pitch captivated sharks with its simplicity and Max's youthful determination, though concerns arose about his ability to balance business demands with college commitments, leading to competing offers from Daymond John and Mark Cuban who both proposed $50,000 for 30% equity before Max ultimately chose Mark Cuban's partnership. The deal with Mark Cuban successfully closed, providing the young entrepreneur with both capital and mentorship to scale production and reduce manufacturing costs, while the Shark Tank exposure generated immediate dramatic results with the company grossing more in two days post-airing than it had in the previous two years combined.

Max strategically expanded BRUW's product line to include ready-to-drink beverages and tea options, leveraging the national television exposure to build a sustainable business while completing his college education, demonstrating remarkable entrepreneurial maturity in balancing academic and business commitments. In April 2020, Max achieved the ultimate entrepreneurial success when Snarky Tea, another Shark Tank company backed by Kevin O'Leary, acquired BRUW for an undisclosed amount, marking a complete and profitable exit for the young founder who had built, scaled, and sold a business before graduating from college.

Our latest research shows the BRUW products were eventually discontinued after the acquisition, but Max's journey represents one of the most impressive examples of student entrepreneurship featured on Shark Tank, proving that age is no barrier to business success when innovation meets determination and strategic partnerships.