AirTulip Update | Shark Tank Season 16
Dr. Arjen de Jong was living in New York City when he realized that regular air purifiers weren’t doing enough. Even with one running, the air around his bed was still full of dust and allergens, making it hard to sleep well. So he created AirTulip, which is a special headboard that blows clean air right where you sleep. The technology helps people breathe better and rest easier. Will the sharks breathe life into this idea? Let’s find out in our AirTulip update and pitch recap.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to AirTulip after
Dr. Arjen entered
In terms of an AirTulip update, the headboard is now for sale with a 30-night risk-free trial. Further, they also plan a public investment round to allow regular supporters to become investors.
| Shark | Result |
| Kevin O’Leary | $400,000 for 20% equity |
| Barbara Corcoran | No offer |
| Lori Greiner | No offer |
| Robert Herjavec | No offer |
| Mark Cuban | No offer |
Shark Tank AirTulip Pitch
- Entrepreneur: Dr. Arjen de Jong
- Business: A state-of-the-art air purifier
- Ask: $400,000 for 4% equity
- Result: No deal
- Shark: None
Dr. Arjen, a Dutch aerospace engineer based in New York, entered
He introduced his high-end solution for one of the most overlooked health issues: the quality of air we breathe while we sleep.
According to Dr. Arjen, traditional air purifiers only marginally improve room air. The problem, he explained, is that airborne particles like dust, allergens, smoke, and pet dander continue to circulate, never fully disappearing.
In contrast, AirTulip solves that problem by focusing clean air exactly where people need it—right over their heads while they sleep.
AirTulip is a headboard with built-in filters. It uses industrial-grade HEPA, active carbon, and pre-filters to clean the air.
It whispers quietly and doesn’t blow cold air on the user. Instead, it creates a bubble of purified air at the head of the bed.
As part of his demo, Dr. Arjen showed his friend named Jim surrounded by visualized “dirty” air. The display helped drive his point home.
Kevin O’Leary got into the bed to test the system. He said it was silent and comfortable. He asked how the air flows. Dr. Arjen explained that the system is fully integrated into the headboard.
Meanwhile, Mark Cuban asked if this could be used for cribs or in hospitals. Dr. Arjen said yes, but noted that hospitals would require FDA clearance, which takes time.
However, Mark disagreed. He said the device could be sold without medical claims.
Dr. Arjen replied that hospitals are difficult to get into due to strict procurement rules and long testing cycles.
Following that, Lori Greiner asked why the purifier had to be in a headboard instead of using a regular air filter beside the bed.
In response, Dr. Arjen explained that regular purifiers clean the room unevenly. Dust keeps circulating. AirTulip, however, creates a small, fully clean zone exactly where it matters.
Barbara Corcoran wanted to know what he had done to start selling the product. Dr. Arjen said they planned to launch in boutique hotels and clinics first, then expand.
Mark pushed back. He warned that selling this kind of hardware directly to consumers would require heavy marketing. He said people would need to experience it in person to understand the value.
At that point, Robert Herjavec asked about sales. Dr. Arjen said they had just finished the product and hadn’t started selling.
He had done a crowdfunding campaign where he sold 100 units at over $2,000 each, raising $200,000.
Then, Robert asked about production costs. Dr. Arjen said the materials cost $1,000 per unit, and labor added $500. That brought the total to $1,500, with a 50% margin.
Robert wasn’t satisfied. According to him, the $10 million valuation made no sense without real sales. He also felt the path to market was unclear and decided to pass.
Similarly, Barbara also dropped out. She didn’t think the average consumer would spend $3,000 on an air purifier, no matter how advanced it was.
Lori said the product was promising but too early for her. She exited the deal.
Mark dropped out for the same reason. He liked the technology but didn’t see a clear go-to-market plan.
Surprisingly, Kevin was the only shark still in. He said the product was impressive, but the valuation didn’t match the risk.
However, he offered $400,000 for 22.5% equity. Dr. Arjen pushed back with a counter of 8%. Kevin refused. Dr. Arjen then offered 15%. Kevin still said no and lowered his ask to 20%.
Ultimately, Dr. Arjen declined. He said he believed in the product and was not willing to give up that much equity.
Although he walked away without a deal, Kevin said he would still buy the product for himself.
Keep reading our AirTulip update to find out what happened to Dr. Arjen and his company.
Shark Tank AirTulip Update
Our AirTulip update found that since appearing on
Further, the company plans to launch a public investment round that would allow everyday supporters to become investors.
In addition, our AirTulip update found that the product has already gained attention from high-performance users like NFL Pro Bowler Matt Judon.
If you’d like to follow along with Dr. Jong’s progress, you can do so on the AirTulip website.
Once the dust settles, we will be back with another AirTulip update.
For more updates from
Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 16 products.
Marvin Uzor
Marvin Uzor is a content contributor for Shark Tank Recap. He specializes in crafting engaging, well-researched content that delve into the latest Shark Tank stories, keeping readers hooked. He has a soft spot for his favorite Shark Tank companies, Bombas and Doorbot, known for their innovation and impact.