PupBox Update | Shark Tank Season 8

Ben and Ariel Zvaifler struggled to find high-quality treats and toys while raising their puppy. This led them to create PupBox, a subscription service for pet owners. PupBox delivers curated, age-appropriate treats, toys, and accessories each month. The goal is to make it easier for pet owners to find premium products tailored to their pets’ developmental stages. In our PupBox update and pitch recap, let’s find out which sharks were interested in making a deal.

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

Ben and Ariel appeared on Shark Tank Season 8 to pitch PupBox, seeking $250,000 for 10% equity. After their presentation, they landed a deal with Robert Herjavec for $250,000 for 15% equity.

In terms of a PupBox update, the company experienced rapid growth shortly after its episode airing, which more than doubled sales. PupBox was later acquired by Petco in 2017.

Shark	Result
Robert Herjavec	Accepted offer of $250,000 for 15% equity
Kevin O’Leary	$250,000 for 20% equity
Daymond John	$250,000 for 25% equity
Mark Cuban	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer

Shark Tank PupBox Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Ben and Ariel Zvaifler
• Business: Subscription box for puppy parents
• Ask: $250,000 for 10% equity
• Result: $250,000 for 15% equity
• Shark: Robert Herjavec

Ben and Ariel walked into Shark Tank with their dog Maggie, hoping to secure an investment to grow their business, PupBox.

To kick off their pitch, they placed puppies on the laps of each shark, hoping to capture their attention.

PupBox is a subscription service designed to help new dog owners tackle the challenges of raising a puppy.

Subscribers receive a box with 5 to 7 items every month, including treats, toys, grooming tools, and a training guide. The guide is tailored to the puppy’s growth stage.

The training guide, developed by expert Andrea Arden, gives practical advice for each stage of a puppy’s development.

Furthermore, the goal is to provide pet owners with everything they need to raise their puppies. This helps reduce the stress of shopping for supplies.

They customize each box based on the puppy’s specific needs, including any allergies, to ensure the safety of all the products.

Additionally, the company sources the treats from the USA or Canada, prioritizing quality.

Subscription prices range from $29 to $39 per month, and when the puppy reaches adulthood, owners receive boxes customized for adult dogs.

Lori Greiner wanted to know from a customer’s perspective how long they could expect the products in each box to last for their puppy.

The entrepreneurs explained that the boxes evolve with the puppy, adjusting as it grows and its needs change.

At the time of their pitch, Ben and Ariel had already made $580,000 in sales. With the continued growth of their social media marketing, they projected they would surpass $2 million in sales the following year.

In contrast, Kevin O’Leary recognized their high valuation but saw potential. This prompted him to offer the duo $250,000 for 20% equity.

Mark Cuban exited the negotiations, saying he wasn’t a fan of subscription-based businesses.

Meanwhile, Daymond John offered $250,000 for 25% equity, emphasizing his connections in the pet industry.

Robert Herjavec countered with $250,000 for 15% equity, pushing them for a quick decision.

Ben and Ariel tried to see if other sharks were interested in partnering, but Daymond refused because he felt he offered too much value to split the investment.

Ultimately, they accepted Robert’s offer of $250,000 for 15% equity.

Now that we know how the negotiations ended, let’s get a PupBox update to see what happened to the company after Shark Tank.

Shark Tank PupBox Update

According to our PupBox update research, the deal with Robert Herjavec successfully closed.

Shortly after their episode’s airing, the company’s sales doubled, surpassing $750,000. 

They continued to expand their offerings to include subscription boxes for adult dogs and launched their own branded accessories, such as leashes and collars.

These moves helped them keep customers longer and strengthened PupBox’s position in the competitive pet care market.

Our PupBox update found that their success caught the attention of Petco, a leading name in the pet industry. In late 2017, Petco acquired PupBox for an undisclosed amount.

As part of the deal, Ben, Ariel, and their team joined Petco to manage and grow the brand further. 

This partnership allowed PupBox to expand its subscriber base, which had grown dramatically by 2019.

By 2020, PupBox had earned recognition as one of the most disruptive direct-to-consumer brands in the U.S., according to the International Advertising Bureau.

Our PupBox update found that Ben launched Cloud Water Filters, a direct-to-consumer brand offering clean, toxin-free water through advanced filtration systems in early 2021.

Meanwhile, Ariel stayed on to lead PupBox’s operations, ensuring the brand continued to thrive under Petco’s leadership.

We are happy to call this PupBox update a success.

For more on Shark Tank Season 8 Episode 9, be sure to check out:

• Barbell Apparel Update
• ENERGYbits Nutrition Tablets Update
• Line Cutterz Update

Before you go, check out our Shark Tank Season 8 page for more updates.