An Orlando-based company that created an educational toy robot impressed the sharks on Friday’s episode of “Shark Tank,” landing a $166,000 deal from investor Robert Herjavec in return for one-third of the company, contingent on a deal with Dreamworks.
Cofounders Chris Harden and Jeremy Scheinberg pitched the sharks last summer but the episode did not air until Friday night.
As the show started to air, a buzz came over the room at Canvs coworking space as Harden and Scheinberg started noticing orders coming in online.
Amazon also put their product on its homepage off the strength of its “Shark Tank” appearance.
The exposure on the show, which routinely draws millions of viewers, should lead to what has come to be known as the “Shark Tank effect.”
In that, sales and web clicks generally spike dramatically after a company appears on the show.
Trobo is a toy robot that walks kids through educational lessons based in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The company represents the third company from Central Florida to draw investment from the sharks on the show during this season.
In the season premiere, Signal Vault landed a $200,000 investment from Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec in return for a 25 percent stake in the company.
One week later, Jesse Wolfe appeared and received an offer for $50,000 for a 20 percent stake for his hummus production company.
A watch party at Canvs coworking space drew about 75 friends, family and supporters to cheer on the sharks during the show.
Scheinberg and Harden decked out Canvs with about a dozen Trobo dolls, dressed in costumes such as a nurse and an astronaut.
