What Happened To Fizzics After Shark Tank?
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
There are a lot of flops on "Shark Tank." From less-than-impressive presentations to products that clearly don't work the way they're supposed to, to businesses that just can't come to an agreement with the Sharks, there are a lot of ways that things can go awry for those seeking investments. But some of the most exciting moments on the show happen when a company's presentation is so compelling that it gets several Sharks to compete with each other for a piece of the pie.
That's what happened with Fizzics, a company selling a machine that can turn any beer into a nitro-style tap beer that, according to Shark Tank Recap, had "already amassed $3.2 million in sales" in just eight months. The company claimed that its machine made regular beer from a can or bottle taste like draft beer, and the Sharks, who got a taste test, agreed (via Shark Tank Blog). Then, a bidding war ensued. Though the Fizzics co-founders were initially asking for an investment of $500,000 in exchange for 4% of their business, Sharks Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner joined together and eventually ended up agreeing to make a $2 million investment for 16% of the company. It seemed like the Fizzics was destined for success, but the road was rockier than might be expected.
What does Fizzics do, anyway?
If you've ever enjoyed a Guinness beer, on tap or from a can, then you probably noticed the thick, creamy head of foam in your glass. The real reason there's a plastic ball in your can of Guinness is that it's filled with nitrogen. When the can top is popped, the nitrogen is released into the beer, creating that signature foam. But most beer doesn't come with this handy ball of nitrogen.
Instead of nitrogen, the Fizzics beer dispensers use "sound waves and fluid dynamics" to convert any beer's carbonation into a "Micro-Foam," similar to the foam you get from a freshly poured on-tap beer. According to the company, this process improves the flavor, visual presentation, mouthfeel, and aroma of any beer. The "Shark Tank" investors seemed to concur — when they tasted regular beer and beer that had been poured with the Fizzics dispenser side-by-side, they agreed that the Fizzics beers tasted better (via Shark Tank Blog).
Fizzics is now on Amazon
Even though Fizzics found success on "Shark Tank," the company has had a bit of a rocky road. According to Shark Tank Blog, company co-founder Phillip Petracca left the company in 2017, and the other co-founder, David McDonald, lost his position as CTO when the company restructured its debt after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 (via PR Newswire).
But the story of Fizzics doesn't end there. Though it doesn't seem like Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, or either of the company co-founders are still involved, Fizzics is still selling two nitro-style beer dispensers. The brand offers the Original, which can store and pour up to 64 ounces of beer (a growler), and the DraftPour model, which can serve up individual cans and bottles of beer (via Fizzics). According to the company, the DraftPour is the result of more than four years of taste-testing and tweaking the product based on feedback from consumers and industry professionals. The DraftPour is also available on Amazon, where it sells for between $124.99 and $149.99.