Bitsbox Coding for Kids Update | Shark Tank Season 8

Scott Linninger and Aidan Chopra wanted kids to have a fun, hands-on way to dive into coding. They saw it as an essential skill in today’s tech-driven world. Their drive led them to launch BitsBox—a monthly subscription filled with interactive coding projects. The platform transforms learning into a creative adventure for kids, making coding fun and engaging. Will the sharks tap into BitsBox’s potential or leave the code unfinished? Find out in our BitsBox update and pitch recap!

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Bitsbox after Shark Tank.

Scott and Aidan entered Shark Tank Season 8, seeking $250,000 for 3% equity in Bitsbox. Despite a strong pitch, they left without a deal, as the sharks liked the product but had concerns about the business model.

In terms of a Bitsbox update, the company leveraged its Shark Tank exposure and tripled its customer base, attracting investor interest. Today, Bitsbox has grown into a full-blown kids’ coding company.

Shark	Result
Chris Sacca	$250,000 for 5% equity
Lori Greiner	No offer
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank Bitsbox Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Scott Lininger and Aidan Chopra
• Business: Monthly coding projects subscription for kids
• Ask: $250,000 for 3% equity
• Result: No Deal
• Sharks: None

Scott and Aidan opened their presentation with a bold ask—$250,000 for 3% equity in BitsBox—a request that instantly grabbed Mark Cuban’s attention.

To bring their idea to life, they introduced young Grace, who showed off a custom “Shark Tank App” she’d made with BitsBox.

This illustrated just how this platform makes coding fun and accessible for kids, sparking their curiosity to code from an early age.

BitsBox is a subscription-based educational platform that delivers monthly coding projects for kids.

The program is designed for kids aged 6 to 12, offering hands-on coding projects that increase in complexity. This approach helps kids gradually develop real programming skills over time.

Each month, subscribers receive a box packed with new project binders, stickers, and coding challenges, all designed to keep young learners engaged.

Kids enter code on the BitsBox website and watch their creations come alive on any web-enabled device.

Unlike many kids’ coding programs, BitsBox teaches real programming languages like JavaScript. This gives kids a valuable, practical experience they can build on.

The program’s appeal has spread beyond families to schools, where it’s becoming a valuable tool for early STEM education.

As a result, it’s igniting enthusiasm for coding in classrooms across the country.

At the time of airing, BitsBox had already generated $1.3 million in revenue—a sign of strong market demand. Producing each box costs about $10.

However, Lori Greiner admitted that she had no experience in the subscription business, so she was out.

Kevin O’Leary was next, followed by Robert Herjavec, who thought there was far too much competition in the industry.

Mark raised concerns about how the business would scale going forward and would ultimately go out as well, leaving Chris Sacca as the only shark left.

Chris valued the company at $5 million, proposing $250,000 for a 5% equity.

However, Scott and Aidan aimed for a $7 million valuation, countering with a request for $250,000 for 3.57% equity.

Negotiations continued as they lowered their valuation, offering 4%, 4.16%, and finally, 4.75% for the same investment, attempting to meet Chris’s terms halfway.

Despite these adjustments, Chris remained firm on his original offer, ultimately leading the entrepreneurs to leave without a deal.

Keep reading our Bitsbox update to find out what happened next.

Shark Tank Bitsbox Update 

Our Bitsbox update found that their Shark Tank exposure worked in their favor. In the month after the show aired, BitsBox’s business tripled as more families and schools embraced the idea.

Aidan later shared that the Shark Tank exposure helped them raise the funding they needed from other investors, pushing BitsBox into the top tier of kids’ coding companies.

They expanded their offerings to include school-friendly versions of the platform, allowing teachers to bring BitsBox’s interactive coding projects into classrooms.

By mid-2020, BitsBox had generated over $11 million in total sales, though profitability remained a challenge. 

Aidan acknowledged that, despite strong demand, they were only breaking even, illustrating the hurdles of scaling a subscription-based model.

They pressed forward, growing their team, doubling office space, and adding a video studio to improve their content.

By 2023, our BitsBox update found that the company had grown to over 800,000 users, with flexible subscription options catering to different budgets.

Families could choose from a digital package or a basic box. For added goodies like toys and stickers, they could opt for the deluxe box, making it accessible to a range of learners.

At the time of writing, our research on the BitsBox update found that the company is a leader in children’s coding education.

Further, they now have an estimated valuation of $27 million.

We’re calling this Bitsbox update a success.

Are you curious about the other company updates from Season 8, Episode 17? Find them here:

• Toymail Talkie Update
• Edn Wellgarden Update
• Hotels by Day Update

For more company updates from Season 8, check out our Season 8 product page.