What Happened To Aura Bora After Shark Tank?
Over the course of the series, the reality hit "Shark Tank" has introduced audiences to numerous hopeful entrepreneurs and hundreds of products. One such product, featured in Season 12, is the sparkling water brand Aura Bora.
Entrepreneurs Paul and Maddie Voge invented Aura Bora at home using their Soda Stream and took their product public just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Between the struggles of running a business during a global crisis and the challenges of simply launching a new product, the Voges hoped to get a shark on their team. The couple requested a modest $150,000 for a 5% stake in their company and, in the end, made a deal with shark Robert Herjavec for $200,000 for a 15% stake.
To their relief, Herjavec came up with a plan – rather than immediately jump into supermarket chains across the nation, he recommended working at their growth slowly and steadily. As you might have guessed from the fact that Aura Bora is still on shelves today, Herjavec's plan has worked well for the brand.
Aura Bora brings unique flavors to the table
Early on in their journey, the Voges were concerned with the lack of transparency in sparkling water flavorings. Flavorings for food and drinks can be natural, artificial, or mixed. Even if the flavors are naturally sourced, the sources can be summed up with the dubious phrase "natural flavorings." Furthermore, as noted by USA Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require natural flavorings to be further delineated, and the term covers a list of over 80,000, of which 3,000 are chemical additives. In other words, a natural flavoring label can actually be a packaged-food red flag.
Wanting to give customers the best, the Voges set out to make beverages with a limited number of carefully selected, fully disclosed natural flavors. According to the Aura Bora website, the brand uses purified water and real herbal extracts and does not add citric acid to its products. Since appearing on "Shark Tank," the business has acquired three bottling factories. Both Paul and Maddie Voge have gone all in on Aura Bora, with the couple working full-time to grow their business.
Where is Aura Bora now?
Needless to say, the whimsically packaged Aura Bora has more than quadrupled its footprint since partnering with shark Robert Herjavec. The brand went from being carried in 488 stores to being carried in over 2,500, including 7-11, Whole Foods, Walmart, and online at Amazon.
After raising an additional $3 million from private investors, the Voges were able to build up their brand to its current valuation of over $20 million, hoping their rising brand would soon be on a list of the best sparkling water brands. They're well on their way, with the couple making the 2022 Forbes 30 under 30 list for Food and Beverage.
As of 2023, Aura Bora has eight different flavors – including Lime Cardamom, Cactus Rose, and Peppermint Watermelon — as well as limited-time flavors. The company also offers a flavor-of-the-month subscription for $59 a month, so it's safe to say Aura Bora is here to stay.