Bunch Bikes Shark Tank Update

Founder Aaron Powell shares a behind the scenes look at what happened on set with Bunch Bikes on ABC's Shark Tank Season 12, episode 19 (episode 1219) on March 26, 2021. Read about what happened on the show, and what's happened to Bunch Bikes since being on Shark Tank. You can watch the full episode on Hulu.

If you missed it, you can read the story of Bunch Bikes getting ready to be on shark tank here.

My time in the Shark Tank was a blur. Thankfully I had rehearsed the pitch so many times, that I successfully delivered it on auto-pilot without any issue. With the strong start I felt confident to take on whatever the Sharks had to throw at me. Overall the Sharks were really intrigued by the bikes, so the energy in the room was super positive.

I was prepared for Kevin O’Leary to beat me up on the high price of our cargo bikes, but he actually loved that we sold premium bikes with a focus on quality. He was so excited about the bikes that I thought he was going to pull out his wallet and buy one on the spot! (the producers opted to cut most of this out).

Daymond John on the other hand, said that while he would be a customer, he wasn’t comfortable investing in a company selling premium products at a time when so many people are struggling (and he actually did end up ordering a bike!).

When we got into the details on our supply chain, the Sharks had a lot of criticisms. Although we have exclusive distribution rights for our Dutch-made cargo bike, The Coupe, we didn’t yet have exclusive rights from our Asian factory for our other products and the Sharks were worried that it would make our business difficult to protect from competition.

It was a valid point, and although I shared our plans to bring more accessible, lower-priced, custom-designed cargo bikes (like the Bunch Connect) to market in the future, fellow Dallas-area resident Mark Cuban wasn’t confident that we were going to be able to pull it off (time will tell, Mark!)

Filming for Shark Tank was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life. The stakes were high because you know that, good or bad, it is something that will follow you around for the rest of your life. While there are some things I wish I had done and said differently on the show, I don’t have any regrets.

As a result of Shark Tank, millions of Americans now know that fun, sustainable transportation options exist for families with young kids. Cargo bikes are one step closer to becoming an essential part of the fabric of American cities, just as they are in Europe.

I set out in 2017 with a dream to share these amazing family cargo bikes with the world, and I am a big step closer to achieving my vision of cities and communities that are more connected, human, and engaging.

I am so excited to have Barbara and Robert coming along for the ride, as we continue our mission of getting more families on bikes! Stay tuned for the next chapter of Bunch Bikes... there are great things yet to come!