16-year-old Trisha Prabhu introduced ReThink on Shark Tank Season 8. It was a mobile app designed to step in while someone was typing a message and prompt them to pause before sending something harmful.
The app monitored text as users typed. When it flagged language tied to bullying or abuse, it stopped the moment and asked the sender to pause and reconsider. The idea centered on reflection rather than punishment. Some of the investors found the concept thoughtful. Others questioned whether nudging people to think twice would be enough to change behavior.
ReThink on Shark Tank
As always, the biggest concern came down to whether the idea could grow into a sustainable business. The app was always meant to be free for users. The revenue was tied to partnerships with schools, districts, or large organizations like mobile carriers. That plan left some of the Sharks unconvinced.
Prabhu still managed to strike a deal with two investors before leaving Shark Tank. A lot of time has passed since then. ReThink has kept a low profile. The app shows little activity on both major app stores, which naturally leads to a bigger question. What became of ReThink after the cameras stopped rolling?
ReThink Shark Tank Deal
Prabhu asked for $100,000 in exchange for 20% equity in the company. The Sharks pushed back with doubts. They questioned whether kids who bully others would ever download the app at all, or if they’d just click past the warning and carry on.
She explained that the app was never meant to appeal directly to bullies. The real audience was parents, schools, and possibly mobile carriers. She even floated the idea of carriers preloading the app on phones sold to kids.
To support her case, she pointed to early data. In a small study of about 1,500 users, she said more than nine in ten teens paused or changed their message when the app flagged harmful language during typing.
Mark Cuban saw a possible path through partnerships with wireless carriers, while Lori Greiner quickly stepped in with an offer that matched what Prabhu was asking for. In the end, the two agreed to back the startup together.
That agreement, though, never made it past the handshake stage. Robert Herjavec later explained that this outcome is fairly common on Shark Tank. Many deals fall apart after filming, since what viewers see is only a verbal commitment. The real decisions, he noted, happen once the cameras are off.
ReThink Evolved Beyond a Mobile App
Prabhu moved past the novelty of being a teenage founder and began focusing on the larger mission, taking on a visible role as an advocate against bullying well beyond the startup itself.
ReThink moved beyond a basic mobile app and became a patented system used in youth-focused settings. Community groups and organizations began adopting it for programs and events. By 2021, the technology had reached more than 70 Rotary Clubs across 18 countries in the Caribbean.
Trisha Prabhu’s Work Beyond ReThink
Prabhu has stayed active in the conversation around online behavior. She’s taken her message to live audiences through talks, including appearances at TED events, and turned her focus toward writing as well.
In 2022, she published ReThink the Internet with Penguin Random House. This book was about her ideas on how the internet could work better for younger users.
The Current State of the ReThink Mobile Apps
The original apps are still around. But the activity looks limited. The Android version on the Google Play Store shows a quiet update in October 2025. There’s no public detail on what was changed, though. On iOS, the listing on the Apple App Store hasn’t moved since 2023.
Ratings hover around three to three-and-a-half stars, and most reviews are a few years old. It suggests the apps haven’t disappeared, but they’re no longer peaking with momentum either.
