'Shark Tank' offers a life-changing deal to 8-year-old boy who created a coffee brand just for kids

“Shark Tank” isn't just about providing entrepreneurs another platform to pitch their ideas and products if they can't reach venture capitalists via traditional channels. It also opens doors for people of all age groups to gain visibility for their innovation, not just in front of sharks but also on TV as millions of potential customers watch from home. On an earlier episode of the show, a founder named Ethan Sanborn, who is only eight, pitched his product with the help of his father, David. The product was named Kiid Coffee, and the beverage was 99.9% caffeine-free. It also had several nutritional values along with the flavor of coffee.

Ethan had always liked coffee and often took tiny sips from his father’s cup. With Kiid Coffee, he could finally enjoy a full cup of coffee without any of the negative effects of caffeine on a kid. “Ethan really does like coffee. He has been stealing sips of mine since he was little,” David said. “No Dad, I don’t just like coffee, I love coffee,” the eight-year-old entrepreneur added. It was a cute pitch that all of the sharks enjoyed.

Then, it was time to reveal the numbers. The product was launched in April of 2024, and that was the same year that it made it to “Shark Tank.” At the time of recording, Kiid Coffee had made $75,000 in sales. That was quite impressive, considering its nascent nature. The father-son duo had asked for $50,000 for a 5% stake in the company. However, Mark Cuban wanted to work on something more secure, so he backed out at first.

However, the investor changed his mind when he learned that Kiid Coffee was being used and sold at coffee shops as well. But before he could come in with an offer, Kevin O’Leary demanded a 30% stake for $50,000. Lori Greiner and Cuban then teamed up to offer $50,000 for 20%. Daniel Lubetzky, who has experience in the market, made the same offer, and Mr. Wonderful went down to 15%.

This put the entrepreneurs in a tough position. Lubetzky would be the perfect Shark in this situation, given his line of work. However, no one has the social media outreach of Mr. Wonderful. The father and son duo needed to have a small discussion before coming to a decision. They decided to go with experience and chose Lubetzky despite having an offer that would see them give up a lower stake in the firm.

The partnership turned out to be a fruitful one. “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,” David said about Lubtezky. He still handles the brand’s social media marketing aspect, and the investor had kind words for the entrepreneurs as well, especially Ethan.

“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,’” he said, according to a report in CNBC Make It. Only time will tell if the company makes it big in the future.