Alan Cook wants to change the way you clean up dog poop when he pitches Brilliant Pad to the Sharks in episode 914. Cook created “the world’s first self-cleaning indoor dog potty for puppies and small dogs” when he introduced the idea in a successful IndieGoGo campaign in early 2017. He raised over $110,000 in April, 2017 and successfully delivered over 1600 units by August.
The Brilliant Pad is a small roller system. When dogs pee or poop on the pad, it rolls the waste into a sealed, air-tight packet. It’s a lot like a vacuum sealer for food except it’s automatic and it’s for waste. All the parts are eco-friendly and the sealant material is biodegradable. The pad material soaks up pee and dries out poop quickly then rolls into a disposable tube. No more plastic bags and paper towels!
Each unit runs $159 and comes with 27 pads – enough for nearly a month. Replacement pads and rolls run $64 with a subscription priced at $57. Reviews indicate pet owners LOVE their product. Cook likely wants to make it a mass market item. Can a Shark help Mr. Cook take his business to the next level?
Brilliant Pad Company Information
Video
Posts About Brilliant Pad on Shark Tank Blog
BrilliantPad Picks up Pooches’ Poop
Brilliant Pad Shark Tank Recap
Alan enters seeking $500,000 for 5% of his business. He gives his pitch and then demonstrates the product. Kevin actually comes onstage and smells a used “turd roll” to check if the product works. When he reveals he’s the inventor of the Scoop Free Automatic Litter Box, the Sharks are impressed. He tells them about the IndieGoGo sales and says those products will be delivered in six weeks. Cost per unit is $54.
Kevin jumps in and offers a $500,000 loan at 11% interest in exchange for 10% equity in the business. Barbara thinks it’s too high risk; she’s out. Alex doesn’t see his brand “moving the dog poop industry;” he’s out. Mark likes the product, but thinks it’ll take too long to get his money back; he’s out too. Last is Lori who offers $500,000 for 8% and a royalty of $5 per unit sold until she gets $500,000 back. She quickly modifies her deal to 5% plus the royalty. Alan counters with $500,000 for five percent with a $2.50 royalty plus a line of credit. Lori agrees.
Brilliant Pad Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show. The deal with Lori never closed. Since airing, they tweaked the design a little. They added more absorbent and less expensive rolls and a lip on the tray to prevent urine from getting on the floor, The rolls now automatically advance after the dog leaves the pad.
During the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the factory in China that makes his pads was ordered by the Chinese government to manufacture medical masks. Since he had a good relationship with his factory, he put the business on hold and got into the PPE distribution business.
Once Covid died down, Alan introduced the Brilliant Pad Smart. This is a completely hands free version so you never have to touch the rolls – you can advance them via an app. It snaps a photo of each “potty event” and the pads indicate poop consistency and flags soft stools. As of August, 2023, the company is still in business and has $1 million in annual revenues.
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