Father Figure Paternity Clothes Update | Shark Tank Season 9

Andrew Bentley, a former Google employee, noticed a gap in the market for stylish and functional clothing for dads. He launched Father Figure, a lifestyle brand for dads, to address this need, offering American-made clothes designed with both baby’s comfort and dad’s coolness in mind. Will the sharks think there is a need for paternity clothes? Read on to find out more in this Father Figure update pitch recap.

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

Andrew Bentley pitched his lifestyle brand for dads on Shark Tank, seeking $80,000 for 15% equity. Despite a compelling pitch and showcasing his American-made clothing line, he unfortunately didn’t secure a deal from the sharks.

In terms of a Father Figure update, the company is no longer operational. Andrew has since moved on to a new career path as a Project Leader at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Performance Lab.

Shark	Result
Sarah Blakely	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer
Kevin O’ Leary	No offer
Daymond John	No offer

Shark Tank Father Figure Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Andrew Bentley
• Business: Paternity clothing for new dads
• Ask: $80,000 for 15% equity
• Result: No offers
• Shark: None

Andrew entered Shark Tank seeking an investment of $80,000 in exchange for 15% equity in Father Figure. He brought in two dads with their babies, a tactic that successfully softened the sharks and stole their attention. 

After the brief demonstration, Andrew gets into the nitty-gritty of things and makes his pitch with the hopes of securing an investment for his business.  

Andrew explained to the sharks that during his wife’s pregnancy and subsequent time caring for their newborn son, he noticed a significant lack of products and marketing that specifically catered to fathers. 

This observation, coupled with his personal experience, led him to identify a gap in the market for a brand focused on the needs and desires of modern dads. 

Building on his observation of the lack of products for dads, Andrew emphasized that millennial fathers are significantly more involved in childcare than previous generations. 

After a successful career at Google, Andrew decided to dedicate his time to filling this gap in the market and launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring his vision to life. 

All materials used to produce the clothing are American-made. He currently offers three distinct products: a denim shirt featuring soft moleskin sleeves and shoulders, a t-shirt with an additional shoulder pad, and a practical yet stylish burp rag made from muslin cotton. 

Notably, the designs prioritize both the comfort of the baby and the cool factor for dads. 

Furthermore, Andrew emphasized his commitment to responsible fatherhood by establishing the company as a public benefit corporation. 

He also highlighted the valuable partnership with Fathers Incorporated, a national non-profit organization dedicated to education and advocacy around modern fatherhood issues. 

When asked about numbers, Andrew said they had done $33,000 in sales over the past 11 months. While the sharks were initially impressed, their enthusiasm waned upon learning that nearly all of the sales ($30,750) originated from the Kickstarter campaign. 

Daymond John expressed concern about the high production cost of the denim shirt, which sells for $128 but costs $76 to make. This raised questions about the brand’s long-term financial sustainability. 

Unfortunately, Andrew’s pitch didn’t find solace with any of the sharks.

Lori Greiner was the first to exit the deal, echoing Daymond John’s concerns about the high production costs. 

Mark Cuban followed, expressing doubts about the market need for the products. 

Kevin O’Leary delivered a particularly harsh rejection, predicting the business would fail. 

Daymond himself also declined, questioning Andrew’s ability to sell online despite his Google background. 

Finally, guest shark Sarah Blakely was unsure of the specific purpose of paternity clothing and opted out as well. 

Ultimately, Andrew walked away from the sharks without a deal. Let’s see what became of Andrew in our Father Figure update.

Shark Tank Father Figure Update

At the time of this Father Figure update, it was difficult to find anything about the company. However, we did find that it is now out of business. 

Moreover, their social media presence has also been inactive since the Shark Tank episode aired in 2018. Additionally, the website is no longer active.

It seems Father Figure shut down in July 2019. Andrew has since moved on to a new career path as a Project Leader at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government Performance Lab in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Unfortunately, it looks like this will be our final Father Figure update.

You can find the other company updates from Season 9 here:

• Brazyn Life Update
• DrainWig Update
• Novel Effect Update

Before you go, be sure to check our Shark Tank Season 9 page for more updates.