CertifiKid Update | Shark Tank Season 10

Taking kids on trips and outings costs a lot, and Jamie Ratner couldn’t find any good deals made specifically for families. To solve that, she created CertifiKid, a website that helps parents save money on things like local attractions, camps, and family activities. It gives families access to affordable options without sacrificing fun. Let’s dive into our CertifiKid update and pitch recap to see which shark was interested in making a deal.

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

Jamie and Brian entered Shark Tank Season 10, seeking $600,000 for 8% equity in CertifiKid. After their pitch, they reached an agreement for a deal with Kevin O’Leary for $600,000 for 19% equity.

In terms of a CertifiKid update, the company faced a major setback during the pandemic but adapted by shifting to online and at-home deals, eventually recovering by 2021. Further, the company took a strategic move to expand its footprint by aquiring Macaroni KID and Hulafrog.

Shark	Result
Kevin O’Leary	Accepted offer of $600,000 for 19% equity
Barbara Corcoran	$600,000 for 25% equity
Daymond John	$600,000 for 17.5% equity
Lori Greiner	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank CertifiKid Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Jamie Ratner and Brian Ratner
• Business: Family Activities for Kids
• Ask: $600,000 for 8% equity
• Result: $600,000 for 19% equity
• Shark: Kevin O’Leary

Jamie entered Shark Tank with her husband, Brian, to pitch CertifiKid, a deals platform that helps families find affordable local activities.

They asked for an investment to expand their customer base and grow their sales team.

Jamie opened the pitch by explaining how the business began. As a parent and blogger, she loved finding ways to save money for families. That passion turned into CertifiKid in 2010.

The site connects parents with discounted offers on things like camps, museums, amusement parks, and events in a few major cities across North America.

Those cities include Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Atlanta.

CertifiKid partners with a wide variety of outdoor companies and amenities that are specifically designed for family adventures and ideal for kids.

Brian told the sharks that CertifiKid earns a percentage from each voucher sold through the site. They had also started accepting paid ads as a second revenue stream.

He explained that the business relies on daily deal emails to reach more than a million subscribers. It became profitable just three months after launch.

Brian said they expected $5 million in revenue and $700,000 in net profit for the year. He added that CertifiKid had brought in over $30 million in lifetime sales.

The numbers impressed the sharks, and the negotiations began.

Mark Cuban acknowledged their success but said the business might struggle to keep customers interested long-term. He passed on the deal.

Daymond John made the first offer of $600,000 for 17.5% equity.

Barbara Corcoran followed with $600,000 for 25% equity, but her deal required them to turn the business into a franchise.

Kevin O’Leary came in with $600,000 for 20% equity, tied to a condition, he wanted a 3x return when the company sold.

He believed the data from CertifiKid’s subscriber list could be used to build custom birthday-based marketing tools and lists for advertisers.

Lori Greiner liked the couple and the concept, but didn’t think they needed to give up equity. She passed.

After receiving very different offers from Daymond, Kevin, and Barbara, it was time for Jamie and Brian to make a final decision.

The entrepreneurs countered Kevin’s offer with $600,000 for 15% equity. Kevin dropped the contingency from 3x to 1x, but they still wanted better terms.

Brian kept negotiating. Kevin eventually agreed to $600,000 for 19% equity with no conditions.

The couple ultimately accepted the deal. They believed Kevin’s experience would help CertifiKid grow faster and reach more families nationwide.

Now, let’s see how the company is doing in our CertifiKid update.

Shark Tank CertifiKid Update

According to our CertifiKid update, sales spiked for the company after the episode aired.

Within two months, they made $1.2 million, more than the entire previous year.

Unfortunately, the pandemic hit them really hard, which led to a cut-off in in-person activities.

They pivoted to online and at-home deals but didn’t fully recover until 2021.

Despite the setback, CertifiKid went on to acquire Macaroni KID, a national parent-focused event platform.

Further, in 2023, they also acquired Hulafrog, another family activity site. These moves helped them expand their reach across local parenting markets.

The future is looking bright for our next CertifiKid update.

You can find the other company updates from Season 10 Episode 18 here:

• Haven Lock Update
• Nuchas Update
• Kanga Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 10 products.