Out of many pitches that were made to Shark Tank, kids’ entrepreneurs did hold a special place because of the innovative ideas they came up with. One particular deal that deserves a special mention is The Measuring Shovel by a 13-year-old. Maddox Prichard appeared in Shark Tank Season 11, Episode 6 with his product named “The Measuring Shovel,” which he innovated after finding a potential issue in gardening.
Whenever he planted a new seed or plant, they would end up breaking tape to measure the holes and if it was deep enough, and one day, while using a ruler, duct tape and marker, the idea of making a shovel to measure the hole dawned at him. The story is indeed interesting and lets’ dive deeper into the story of the brand, its Shark Tank pitch, and net worth.
Contents
About the Brand
The Measuring Shovel was founded by Maddox Prichard in 2016, who is a fourth-grade student and is based in Gallatin, Tennessee. He came up with the idea when he was working in a garden with his grandmother and was failing to measure the depth of the hole. He wanted to create a tool that could measure the depth of the hole, and he made a product to do the task. The product has a built-in measuring scale and a handle to conveniently do the task.
The product was officially launched in 2018 after Maddox got the patent for the company, and he put the product at an invention fair, where it was an instant hit, and it even won Maddox recognition at the Tennessee Invention Convention and later won the Household Tool Awards at the National Invention Convention. The product became a new favourite for home gardeners as well as landscapers.
The official website is available, but the availability is not confirmed since the product is still looking for a manufacturing and production unit.
About the Founder
The founder of the product is a teenager, Maddox Prichard, a young American inventor from Gallatin, Tennessee. He invented this product when he was in fourth grade and took his invention to the annual convention at Middle Tennessee State University, winning the “Makes Life Easier” category. He later attended the National Invention Convention in Washington, D.C., and again earned the “Household Organization & Tolls Award” sponsored by Stanley Black & Decker.
He went ahead and patented the product in 2018 after getting encouragement from family and school. With his mother and sister, he then went to Shark Tank in November 2019 and returned with an investment of $40,000.
What happened at Shark Tank?
Maddox Prichard appeared on Shark Tank Season 11, Episode 6, which aired on 3rd November, 2019. He went to the show with his mother, Amanda, and made a pitch of wanting an investment of $40,000 in exchange of 15% in their business. He shared his story on how he came up with the idea of the products and invited the sharks to dig a hole and try the product themselves. As the business was in the pre-revenue stage, they wanted the investment to launch the product in the market.
The sharks took time and had a discussion amongst themselves, and Maddox got a couple of offers. Kevin and Lori offered him $40,000 for 30% shared in the business (15% each) and would license the product to a company. Daniel, on the other hand, wanted to manufacture the shovels and sell them in big box retailers, along with an offer of $40,000 for 25%. After a little talking over, Maddox went ahead with Lori and Kevin’s deal.
However, the deal never went on to floors.
Is the Brand Successful?
Though the brand gained considerable fame after appearing on Shark Tank, it didn’t get any success. The deal made on the Shark Tank was also never closed, and based on the recent update, the product is not been confirmed any manufacturing and distribution. It is still in its pre-revenue stage.
