The DeCicco Brothers Pitch Super Coffee On Shark Tank
Highlights
- Super Coffee appeared before the Shark panelists in the ninth season.
- The entrepreneur trio of Jake, Jim, and Jordan DeCicco could not land a deal on the show.
- Super Coffee became a $400 million venture on its own.
A Shark Tank rejection does not imply a business is bound to fail. Through its many seasons, countless such businesses have found their way to the top without a Shark’s help. An organic coffee brand, as seen during the Super Coffee Shark Tank pitch in the ninth season, is an ideal example of this.
Brought to the Shark investors by entrepreneurs Jake, Jim, and Jordan DeCicco, Super Coffee offers ‘organic energy drinks.’ In 2018, during its appearance on the show, Super Coffee’s sales were $600K. Plus, the entrepreneur trio was projecting $2.1 million in sales till the year ended.
Jake, Jim, and Jordan wanted the Shark panelists’ help with branding and mass production. Despite a decent pitch presentation, the DeCicco brothers failed to get a deal. However, this did not stop them from following their business goals, and today, Super Coffee’s value is more than $400K.
Below is a breakdown of how the Super Coffee Shark Tank pitch failed to get a Shark Tank deal. Along with it, there are detailed insights into how Super Coffee brewed its way to the top after Shark Tank.
Super Coffee Shark Tank: Pitch Recap
Brothers and entrepreneurs Jake, Jim, and Jordan DeCicco appeared before the Shark panelists seeking $500K for 4.5% equity in Super Coffee. They revealed that Jordan started the business in 2015 in his hunt for a wholesome, organic energy drink. Super Coffee’s bottled coffee includes coconut oil and milk protein.
The sibling trio together got their products in around 20 Whole Foods stores in the Northern Virginia area. During the Super Coffee Shark Tank appearance, these products were found in hundreds of places across the Northeast. Describing Starbucks as their biggest competitor, the entrepreneurs presented their different favors.
When the entrepreneur trio offered the samples to the Shark investors, Barbara Corcoran exited the deal as she did not like its taste. Guest Shark Rohan Oza, too, felt the same and made his way out of the deal. The other Sharks also followed the same path, thereby leading to no deal for Super Coffee.
Super Coffee Shark Tank: Success After The Show
After failing to secure a Shark Tank deal, Jake, Jim, and Jordan rebranded Super Coffee to Kitu Life. The entrepreneurs reiterated its brand promise of ‘key to life’ and keto to its user base. Super Coffee’s success ride went uphill in 2018 after the ‘Shark Tank Effect’ as Patrick Schwarzenegger invested in it.
In the next year, the entrepreneur trio introduced creamers and was successful in generating $25 million from venture capital. This included the Rx3 Ventures by Aaron Rogers. Additionally, Jake, Jim, and Jordan DeCicco were named in ‘Forbes 30 Under 30.’
‘In 2020, numerous renowned faces showed their interest in the organic coffee brand. A former NBA champion and investor, Baron Davis invested in DeCicco’s business. A-Rod and Jennifer Lopez also became their investors. These developments took Super Coffee’s sales figures to $55 million by 2020.
The growth rate of the DeCicco brothers’ business kept escalating on a consistent basis in the next year as well. Based on this, Super Coffee employed Rosanna Godden as its Chief Financial Officer. Rosanna previously worked as the Finance Vice President at Whole Foods Market.
In 2021, the sales of Super Coffee neared about $97 million. Plus, its overall value was then believed to be a whopping $400 million. Before this, in late 2020, DeCicco’s company joined hands with Anheuser-Busch. These incredible developments allowed Super Coffee to reach Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and Target.
Apart from these, by August 2021, at a $500 million valuation, Super Coffee generated $106 million. After three years of the Super Coffee Shark Tank journey, its products could be found in 40% of the US retail market. With this, it emerged as bottled coffee’s third-largest manufacturer after Starbucks and Dunkin.
When Rosanna left the position in 2022, Tyler Ricks took charge as the new CEO at Super Coffee. Tyler held previous experiences from his time at Lipton Tea, Peet’s Coffee, and Mighty Leaf Tea. The same year, Super Coffee announced Vanilla Ice (rapper) as its spokesperson for the Vanilla Iced Latte flavor.
As of 2023, the organic coffee brand’s revenue figures reached up to $124 million.
Conclusion
Although the Super Coffee Shark Tank pitch ended in rejection, the coffee venture’s story was just about to begin. Right after the show, it rebranded as Kitu Life and secured multiple celebrity investments. Additionally, the DeCicco brothers’ coffee brand expanded in retail and formed ideal partnerships with renowned firms.
All of these developments have enabled Super Coffee to become a soaring success with a valuation of more than $400 million.
References
- Jennifer Lopez And Alex Rodriguez Invest In Coffee Brand Super Coffee Cofounded By 30 Under 30 Honorees, Forbes, Igor Bosilkovski
