Mini Materials Miniatures Update | Shark Tank Season 15

Jared Waters saw that scale model builders didn’t have access to realistic building materials. So he took over an existing brand and expanded it into Mini Materials, a full line of mini construction supplies made from real concrete, wood, and metal. Will the sharks want to materialize a deal? Find out in our Mini Materials update and pitch recap.

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

Jared entered Shark Tank Season 15, seeking $100,000 for 20% equity in his miniatures company. After his pitch, he walked away without a deal as the sharks were concerned about the niche audience and limited scalability.

In terms of a Mini Materials update, the company expanded its catalog to include over 30 new products, ranging from scaled roofing and siding to fingerboard ramps and promotional kits. 

Shark:	Result:
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Daymond John	No offer

Shark Tank Mini Materials Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Jared Waters
• Business: Miniatures for dollhouses, dioramas, and 2-scale recreations
• Ask: $100,000 for 20% equity
• Result: No deal
• Shark: None

Owner of Mini Materials, Jared Waters, says that his miniatures are not for your grandmother’s dollhouse.

There’s a new generation of people making miniature art, and whatever they’re creating, his company has the Mini Materials that they need.

Mini Materials is a business that sells realistic miniature construction supplies. These aren’t toy-like props.

They’re made from real concrete, wood, and metal, and designed for artists, collectors, and small-scale creators building dioramas or stop-motion sets.

He explained that the idea originally came from Reddit. One of the original founders posted a tiny concrete block, and it went viral.

Jared saw potential in it and bought the business for $200,000 using a home equity loan.

He said he’d always wanted to run a business, but with a family to support, starting from scratch wasn’t an option. So he chose to buy one with some traction already behind it.

The company’s products are made in the U.S., and Jared runs it full-time. Since taking over just over a year ago, the business has done $200,000 in sales.

Margins range between 50% and 93%, with a blended average of 75%.

One of their core items, a mini wooden pallet with concrete blocks, costs $4 to make and sells for $20.

As the sharks checked out their samples, most seemed genuinely impressed. Kevin O’Leary admitted he hadn’t seen anything like it in all his years on the show.

Robert Herjavec followed up, asking for more on Jared’s background.

In response, Jared shared that he’s from rural Idaho, went to a two-room schoolhouse, and now lives in Portland with his wife and kids.

He bought the company because he wanted a business that was already running, and he now pays himself $55,000 a year from it.

Daymond John asked who the typical customer was. Jared said the products are often recommended for ages 8 to 12, but he didn’t have solid data. Daymond wasn’t comfortable with that answer and bowed out.

Jared admitted marketing isn’t his strong point, but he has started using the products in stop-motion videos to drive interest. He handles the day-to-day operations and product development himself.

Despite liking the product, the sharks had doubts about growth. Kevin said the business was too small to scale and dropped out.

Lori Greiner thought it was cute but not a fit for her. Robert believed Jared could grow it to a $2–3 million company, but said it wasn’t investable at this stage.

Mark Cuban appreciated Jared’s determination but said the journey would be long, and he wasn’t ready to take that ride.

Ultimately, none of the sharks made an offer, leaving Jared without a deal but with positive feedback on the product itself.

Will he manage to make big things happen for his Mini Materials, regardless?

Keep reading our Mini Materials update to find out!

Shark Tank Mini Materials Update

Our Mini Materials update found that the company experienced a fourfold increase in sales within the first week after its Shark Tank appearance.

As a result, they generated around $50,000 in revenue from the exposure.

The business has surpassed $5.4 million in lifetime revenue as of May 2024 and continues to average about $20,000 in monthly sales.

Further, Jared has expanded the product line with over 30 new items, including scaled roofing, siding, dimensional lumber, fingerboard ramps, and promotional kits.

The company’s products are handmade in the U.S. using a mix of cement, wood, 3D printing, and laser cutting.

Mini Materials now ships to more than 85 countries and positions itself as the world’s leading maker of realistic miniature building supplies.

They maintain an active social media presence and have continued to release new products, such as a 1:12 scale birdhouse kit, which launched on Instagram.

At the time of this writing, our Mini Materials update research found that the company still maintains an active social media presence.

Further, they have continued to release new products, such as a 1:12 scale birdhouse kit, which launched on Instagram.

We will keep an eye on Jared and bring you the latest in our next Mini Materials update.

In the meantime, check out our other company updates from Season 15 Episode 6 here:

• Airboss Outdoors Update
• Supermix Studio Update
• TIK PIK Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 15 products.