Nubrella Umbrella Update | Shark Tank Season 1

Regular umbrellas are clunky, require constant holding, and break easily in the wind. Alan Kaufman saw this struggle and invented the Nubrella, a hands-free, backpack-style umbrella that adapts to weather changes. Now, users can stay dry and keep their hands free, eliminating the need to fiddle with an umbrella constantly. Will he earn a deal on Shark Tank Season 1? Find out in our Nubrella update and pitch recap!

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

Alan Kaufman entered Shark Tank Season 1 with hopes of walking away with $200,000 for 25% equity of his business. He eventually got a joint offer of $200,000 for 51% equity from Daymond John and Kevin Harrington.

In terms of a Nubrella update, the deal with the sharks fell through. Sadly, Kaufman passed away in 2022, and the business has shut down.

Shark	Result
Kevin Harrington and Daymond John	Accepted $200,000 for 51% equity
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Barbara Corcoran	No offer

Shark Tank Nubrella Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Alan Kaufman
• Business: Hands-free umbrella that protects against wind chill
• Ask: $200,000 for 25% equity
• Result: $200,000 for 51% equity
• Sharks: Daymond John and Kevin Harrington

Inventor Alan Kaufman appeared on Shark Tank to pitch his business idea, Nubrella. His hands-free umbrella is designed to help improve the old-fashioned and inconvenient design of umbrellas. 

Alan decided to present his idea to the sharks in order to raise money and get help with marketing and distribution. 

He revealed that he’d invested over $900,000 of his own money into the business development. However, he recognizes that financial backing alone isn’t enough for long-term success. 

Alan is seeking the sharks’ expertise beyond just funding. Their experience in business, particularly their connections with stores and advertisers, could be instrumental in making the Nubrella a widely available product. 

Nubrella has unique features, including its windproof design that keeps users warm in harsh weather, its hands-free functionality, and, most importantly, its resistance to inversion—a problem that plagues traditional umbrellas. 

These features pique the sharks’ interest, and they are eager to see if Nubrella lives up to its claims. 

When Alan shows the Nubrella to the sharks, they’re impressed. 

Daymond John and Robert Herjavec are especially interested and want to try it on right away. They put on the Nubrellas and joke around, playfully bumping into each other. 

Kevin Harrington jumps in with a question about sales. Alan reveals that Nubrella has already sold 3,000 units solely on word-of-mouth recommendations. 

Furthermore, he said a recent change in manufacturing has allowed him to lower the price from $49.95 to a more competitive $29.95. The cost to produce each Nubrella is only $14, indicating a healthy profit margin. 

However, Alan faces a challenge: he has orders he can’t fulfill due to limited production capacity.

Daymond John asked if Alan had a patent to protect his invention. He assured Daymond he had a US patent, and applications are currently pending.

However, not everyone is convinced. Barbara Corcoran voices her concern, believing Nubrella caters to a niche market, and decides to pass on the deal. 

Robert Herjavec follows suit, quickly exiting the deal as well. 

Kevin Harrington makes an aggressive offer: $200,000 for 65% equity. 

Meanwhile, Kevin O’Leary exits the deal because Alan lacks the distribution channels needed for Nubrella’s success.  

Undeterred, Alan politely declines Harrington’s offer and proposes a counteroffer of 35% equity. 

Daymond John jumps in, partnering with Harrington and bringing the equity to 60%. Alan counters again, this time proposing 50% ownership. The sharks remain firm, insisting on a controlling stake (51%) to make key decisions. 

To ease the deal, Daymond offers continued financial support as long as sales stay strong. After careful consideration, Alan accepts the sharks’ terms, and an agreement is reached.

Alan accepted their offer and walked out with a two-shark deal. How do you think the company fared after that? Keep reading our Nubrella update to find out!   

Shark Tank Nubrella Update 

After the show, Alan revealed that despite giving up majority control, he is happy with the deal. 

He said the sharks’ expertise, particularly Daymond’s distribution channels and Kevin’s advertising experience, were the deciding factors. He felt their contribution was worth more than any money he could ever receive. 

However, despite his excitement about the deal, there were some unforeseen roadblocks as the deal with the sharks fell through. 

Kevin Harrington determined that Nubrella’s price point didn’t align well with his infomercial model, which led to his exit. 

Daymond John, on the other hand, actively sought to leverage his connections to secure a broader distribution platform for Nubrella, but these efforts weren’t successful. 

Our Nubrella update research found that Alan filed a lawsuit against Sony Pictures in a Massachusetts state court in 2016, seeking compensation for lost business opportunities and revenue sharing whenever episodes featuring the Nubrella aired. 

He also requested clear labeling indicating the original airdate of these episodes. The lawsuit ultimately settled for $20,000. 

However, a second lawsuit regarding the Shark Tank deal was dismissed in federal court. Undeterred, Alan rebranded the company to Canope in 2020 and continued selling the product through his website and Amazon. 

As of July 2021, the company boasted annual sales of $1 million.

Sadly, just as things were starting to look up, Alan passed away in November 2022, and the business had to shut down. 

This will be our last Nubrella update.

Are you interested in the other companies that appeared in Season 1, Episode 14? Follow the links below to see how they performed on the show.

• Send a Ball Update
• Qubits Update
• Pillars of Slippers Update
• Llama Brew Update

For even more on companies and products, be sure to stop by our Season 1 Products Page!