DrumPants made waves on Shark Tank, here's how they're fairing now
DrumPants, a wearable audio tech company, is no longer in business after appearing on Shark Tank Season 6, episode 3, which aired on 3 October 2014. Its founders, Lei Yu and Tyler Freeman, sought $150,000 for 5% equity, but despite getting two offers from Robert Herjavec and Daymond John, DrumPants left the show without a deal.
Source: Facebook
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- DrumPants was co-founded by Lei Yu (CEO) and Tyler Freeman (CTO) in 2013.
- In their pitch, which aired on 3 October 2014, the founders asked for $150,000 in exchange for 5% equity.
- Robert Herjavec offered $150,000 for 20%, and Daymond John's $250,000 offer for 20% was dependent on licensing the tech.
- Despite initial traction, including winning the 2015 AT&T Best Solution for People with Communicative and Cognitive Disabilities Award, DrumPants shut down all operations on 23 December 2023.
Business profile summary
| Business name | DrumPants |
| Founder(s) | Lei Yu,Tyler Freeman |
| Year founded | 2013 |
| Product | Wearable audio technology |
| Product cost | $99-$139 |
| Business valuation | $3 million |
| Funding raised | $74,236 |
| Shark Tank appearance date | 3 October 2014 |
| Shark Tank appearance season | Season 6 |
| Ask | $150,000 for 5% |
| Offer(s) | $150,000 for 20%,$250,000 for 20% |
| Shark(s) | Robert Herjavec,Daymond John |
| Result | No deal |
DrumPants: The wearable tech startup that made music
In 2014, former Google employees Lei Yu and Tyler Freeman presented wearable MIDI controllers, DrumPants, on Shark Tank Season 6, Episode 3. Despite receiving two offers, Yu and Freeman left the show without a deal, a development that has been linked to the product's failure to thrive.
The idea behind DrumPants originated from a prank. Tyler Freeman, an American inventor, wanted to amuse his friends by playing drums on his pants. Years of development produced a promising product with applications in health, entertainment, and education.
Drumming up interest on Shark Tank
Source: Twitter
On 3 October 2014, Lei Yu, Tyler Freeman, and three 'band members' stepped onto the Shark Tank stage with an invention that promised to revolutionise the music industry. Members of the DrumPants team entertained the sharks with a rendition of the Shark Tank theme on wearable MIDI controllers.
In their pitch, the inventors explained that their product, which was still in the beta stage, required additional funding. To scale operations and complete development of their product, the founders sought a $150,000 investment for 5% equity.
Between 9 December 2013 and 10 January 2014, their Kickstarter funding campaign surpassed its $35,000 goal, raising $74,236 from 558 donors. Their closed Indiegogo campaign also received $46,731 and $39,670 from 410 backers by 14 July 2015.
DrumPants sets cost between $69 and $350 for the basic and advanced options. While they did not provide details of completed sales, they informed the sharks of their secured pre-order sales and a projected return of $220,000 by the end of 2014.
Source: Twitter
At the end of their pitch, Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner declined to invest and dropped out of the running. However, Robert Herjavec saw their vision and offered a $150,000 investment for 20% equity, despite his frustrations over DrumPants' valuation of $3 million.
Lei and Tyler also got a second $250,000 deal from Daymond John for 20% equity, on the condition that they obtain a licence for the technology. Tyler countered the offer with their initial ask and a lower 15% equity.
The innovators stepped into the hall for more discussions and, unfortunately, could not agree. Lei was not on board with licensing, unlike Tyler, who was ready to go for Daymond's offer. For this reason, Daymond opted out, leaving Herjavec, who also chose to back out.
Their last hope, Mark Cuban, hit the final nail in DrumPants' coffin on the show. He felt that Tyler and Lei were too indecisive for him to be in business with them.
Source: Twitter
What happened to DrumPants after Shark Tank?
Although the founders did not secure a deal on Shark Tank, they continued to develop and sell their wearable musical devices. The company faced various challenges in scaling the wearable innovation, including delays in order fulfilment. On 23 December 2023, the company announced that it had ceased sales and operations in a Facebook post.
In the post, DrumPants guided users to use the product with any existing MIDI-compatible audio software, such as GarageBand or Ableton. For iPhone users, they would be able to use Apple's MIDI over BLE standard in GarageBand or midimttr.
How do DrumPants work?
DrumPants are wearable MIDI controllers that use pressure-sensitive sensors to create sound from simple body movements, specifically, taps. These sensors send signals to a control unit, which plays sounds through a connected device like a phone or computer.
Source: Twitter
The wearable musical instrument allows users to compose and play music anywhere they want by tapping the wearable sensor strips. Users can manipulate the DrumPants control box to play more than 100 built-in sounds and instruments, including drums, guitars, and pianos.
Each DrumPants kit is equipped with a looping pedal built into the shoes. These DrumPants sensors send signals wirelessly to any app that supports MIDI or OSC, producing music.
Creativity and the future of DrumPants
After their demonstration on the reality TV show, DrumPants developed a significant presence in the media. It was featured on 500 Startups Batch 11, Mic, Fast Company, Smithsonian Magazine, Huffington Post, and Vice. At the time of its pitch, DrumPants' technology represented a future that seemed unrealistic, but one that is much easier to imagine today.
Source: Twitter
DrumPants had various applications in music production, performance, gaming, presentations, and smart devices. In addition to entertainment, the most impactful use of their proprietary technology was in the field of assistive technology.
From beats to speech: DrumPants in assistive tech
This application was quite apparent to brain injury rehabilitation specialist Michael Zinn, who partnered with the company to create DrumPants Trigger Activated Personal Assistant (TAPS).
With TAPS, non-verbal users could generate customizable pre-programmed messages, take photos, answer phone calls, send messages, and connect with other Bluetooth devices. He revealed the impact seen in non-verbal patients in an interview with Mic.
There is a mom in Canada who has ALS. She can communicate with you as long as she can look at you, but if her kids are in the other room and she needs them for some reason, she can tap on her leg, and her phone will call out to her children.
Source: Twitter
Who are the founders of DrumPants?
DrumPants was created and owned by American CEO and co-founder Lei Yu and Tyler Freeman, its CTO.
Lei Yu has vast experience in product and start-ups, working with Roku Inc., Caastle, Mentor, Chariot, and Neura Inc., among others. On the other hand, Tyler is a guitarist, drummer, VJ, and software engineer with prior experience working for Adobe, BandPage, and the Smithsonian.
Did DrumPants get a deal on Shark Tank?
DrumPants did not secure a deal on the reality TV show. Before leaving the tank, the company's founders had received two offers from Robert Herjavec and Daymond John.
Is DrumPants still in business after Shark Tank?
DrumPants ceased operations, production, and sales in December 2023. After leaving Shark Tank, the company remained in business, securing funding, partnerships, and awards.
DrumPants gained visibility on Shark Tank but failed to secure a deal or sustain long-term business growth. After raising initial funds and gaining some recognition, the company ultimately ceased operations in 2023, marking it as a failed venture post-Shark Tank.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
