A few years ago, spare change investing apps were getting plenty of buzz. Most of them helped people save or invest small amounts without overthinking it. Bundil was Dmitri Love’s answer for those curious about crypto but wary of jumping in with big sums. Instead of rounding up cash to buy stocks or ETFs, Bundil steered your change into Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies.
Dmitri Love, a former web developer from Texas, wanted to make Bitcoin feel as easy to start with as a cup of coffee. When he stepped in front of the Sharks, that was his pitch: Bundil would help everyday people dip their toes into crypto markets without stress or steep learning curves.
Pitching Bundil on Shark Tank
Dmitri entered Season 10 of Shark Tank asking for $100,000 for 10% of Bundil. He valued his startup at $1 million. He explained how rounded-up change could be painlessly invested in major cryptocurrencies whenever users swiped their cards, just like other spare change apps.
The Sharks listened but had questions right away. Some, like Mark Cuban, worried there were just too many finance apps fighting for space. Others weren’t sure regular Americans would trust spare change to Bitcoin. Dmitri kept a smooth, low-key attitude, explaining how the app worked and how it partnered with banks to securely move user funds.
For a moment, it looked like nobody would bite. The Sharks pressed Dmitri about app security, competition from big names, and the crazy swings of the crypto market. He held firm, saying he just wanted people to learn as they invested, one coffee at a time.
Negotiations and the Shark Deal
Then Kevin O’Leary—“Mr. Wonderful”—jumped in. He liked simple financial tech. He thought other crypto startups looked risky, but this one felt approachable. Still, he didn’t think Bundil was worth $1 million. Kevin countered with a much tougher offer: $100,000, but for 50% of Bundil. That was a huge jump from Dmitri’s ask, and the other Sharks didn’t seem interested in bidding higher.
The scene was tense, but Dmitri finally said yes. He and Kevin shared a handshake for the cameras. After the episode aired, though, there was no clear public evidence that the deal actually went through offstage. This isn’t rare—some Shark Tank deals end after filming once everyone looks at the real numbers. But Dmitri and Bundil still got a big spotlight from the show.
Bundil’s Post-Shark Tank Surge
Just getting on Shark Tank almost always means a huge wave of attention. For Bundil, that turned into crazy website traffic and lots of new signups. People who had just watched Dmitri pitch wanted to try putting their automatic change into Bitcoin or Ethereum, especially since these markets were still getting bigger every year.
With more users, Bundil looked to expand. They added support for more banks so it would be easier to link your debit card. Instead of just Bitcoin, Bundil let people invest their spare change into a larger list of popular cryptocurrencies. The company even said it had big plans for more partnerships and was working to get the word out beyond the Shark Tank push.
For a while, things seemed pretty optimistic. The crypto market was still going up and down, but Bundil found a niche with people who liked the idea of “set it and forget it” investing.
Chasing Market Share in a Crowded Space
The fintech space is honestly a fight for screen-time and user attention. There are lots of small apps trying to win users from bigger names. Bundil faced competitors in both crypto investing and general spare-change savings—in the end, it wasn’t the only app rounding up coffee money.
But there was hope that users interested in crypto, but put off by opening accounts on complicated exchanges, would stick with Bundil. Partnering with more banks, adding more coins, and making the app extra simple mattered to its early growth.
The hype from Shark Tank helped, and for a while, Bundil managed to stay in the crypto conversation. But under the surface, cracks were starting to show—a classic startup challenge.
App Struggles and User Complaints
Bundil’s main idea—automatic spare change investing—sounds simple, but technically it’s complicated. Users started to report problems with the app not tracking transactions right or having trouble connecting with banks securely.
Worse, some people said they couldn’t withdraw their money when they wanted to. This is about the worst complaint a finance app can get. When users send money in and can’t get it back out, trust goes out the window almost overnight.
Bundil’s team tried to patch things up and keep communication open. But reviews on the app stores and forums reflected unhappy customers. This meant bad word-of-mouth and a dip in new users, even after the Shark Tank boost had faded.
Bundil’s Shut Down
In early 2023, Dmitri Love posted on LinkedIn that Bundil would be shutting down. He explained that the team had learned a lot, but just couldn’t fix the technical and customer issues fast enough. The market was also getting tougher and more crowded, making it hard for small players to compete with bigger, better-funded apps.
Dmitri’s shutdown announcement was pretty honest. He mentioned the journey, the excitement from Shark Tank, and the hard realities that sometimes hit startups. Looking back, Bundil did manage to get people talking about everyday crypto investing. But in the end, technical hiccups and user trust made it impossible to keep going.
Dmitri Love’s Fresh Start: Peas
If you thought that experience would stop Dmitri Love from starting another fintech company, you’d be wrong. After Bundil officially closed, he launched a new app called Peas. Peas isn’t about crypto at all—it’s pitched as an AI-powered financial planning tool, focused on couples and roommates.
The idea is that people living and budgeting together have a particular set of problems and conversations. Peas tries to make splitting bills, tracking shared expenses, and setting group financial goals feel simple and friendly. In a way, it’s still about helping people with money in small bites—just a different audience and model.
Dmitri has kept some of the transparency and regular updates he demonstrated with Bundil. He shares product updates and lessons learned with early users. The financial technology market is never easy, but his persistence shows he’s still betting on simple solutions for everyday problems.
If you’re curious about the ups and downs of other entrepreneur stories, you might like reading business profiles at Read My Business.
Bundil’s Story: What We Can Learn
Bundil’s arc, from idea to Shark Tank to tough ending, is a pretty good example of how hard it is to build sustainable fintech products. The company had a great story and a clever product at the perfect time, but execution and user trust really did make a difference.
Shark Tank helped—a surge in users, publicity, and probably some inspiration for other crypto startups. But a good pitch and TV buzz can only take an app so far. Users have high standards, and even a small technical issue can turn into a big reputation problem, especially with money at stake.
It’s also a reminder that app ideas tied to wild financial markets, like crypto, face extra pressure. When people get nervous about Bitcoin crashes or weird technical bugs, startups have to be *extra* careful about transparency and support.
What’s Next for Bundil’s Founder and the Fintech Space?
So, Bundil is gone. But Dmitri Love continues to chase the next big money app, this time with Peas. Sometimes the real story is about the founder, not just the startup. People like Dmitri—willing to learn, pivot, and take feedback—often show up again with smarter or more focused products.
Financial tech is a tough space. Apps come and go, but good ideas tend to resurface in new forms, with tweaks and lessons learned. For everyday consumers, the key takeaway is to keep an eye out for user reviews and only trust apps that make money seamless and secure.
Bundil’s story had plenty of excitement—Shark Tank, fast growth, and the ever-tempting crypto wave. But things get real after the cameras stop rolling. If you’re interested in these kinds of business curves, there’s a lot more to learn from following founders like Dmitri and watching how simple ideas try to become household names.
