If you were watching Season 7 of Shark Tank, you might remember a little plush robot with a friendly face named TROBO. It wasn’t just a stuffed toy—it was pitched as an educational robot designed to teach kids about science and engineering. The idea was to make learning STEM topics easy and fun, especially for preschoolers and early learners.
Let’s take a fresh look at TROBO, how things went down on Shark Tank, what happened after the cameras stopped rolling, and where the company stands now.
What Was TROBO?
TROBO was the brainchild of two engineers, Jeremy Scheinberg and Chris Harden. It wasn’t your typical plush toy. TROBO connected wirelessly to a tablet or iPad via Bluetooth. Using an app, it would tell stories about science, technology, engineering, and math to kids three years old and up.
You’d get a cuddly robot. Pair it with your device, and the app loaded stories starring your child. The goal was to move away from just screen time to something interactive and a bit more thoughtful. Kids didn’t just sit and watch—they listened, engaged, and were part of the story.
The founders built TROBO after seeing their own kids get bored with basic learning apps. They thought interactive storytelling through a tangible toy could spark curiosity.
Pitching TROBO on Shark Tank
When Jeremy and Chris walked onto Shark Tank, they had a clear pitch in mind: $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity. That valued TROBO at $1 million.
Their demonstration was pretty simple. Jeremy held up the plush robot, showed the custom app, and explained how TROBO read STEM stories out loud. What was interesting was how the stories actually featured the child’s name and avatar, so it felt personalized.
At the time, things looked encouraging. They had around 600 advance orders from small and mid-sized retailers. TROBO had also been featured in over 40 press outlets, including some tech and parenting magazines. Each TROBO sold for around $59.95, including the robot and five stories.
As Shark Tank pitches go, Jeremy and Chris knew their numbers and had a slick prototype. The Sharks, though, were pretty skeptical.
The Sharks’ Reaction
Mark Cuban went first with his feedback. He thought the idea was nice, but he just couldn’t see the product standing out in a crowded market. “Cute, but can it really scale when there are so many similar learning tools out there?” he asked. He was out right away.
Next came Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, and Lori Greiner. Kevin likes cold numbers, Daymond looks for brand, and Lori is always curious about sales and retail expansion. None of them bit, saying the educational toy sector was just too tough without a proven audience or unique IP.
A couple of them questioned if parents would keep buying stories after the free ones. Would kids play with TROBO, or just grab the iPad instead? These were fair questions, and Jeremy and Chris had seen some interest, but not enough to convince the panel.
So, things looked rough for TROBO. Then Robert Herjavec surprised everyone.
A Surprising Offer from Robert Herjavec
Robert saw something he liked. Maybe it was the storytelling angle or the focus on young kids’ STEM learning. He put an offer on the table: $166,000, but for 33.3% ownership. That valued the business much lower, but Robert made his offer conditional.
His main condition wasn’t about the app or the tech. Instead, he wanted TROBO to lock down content deals—specifically, to secure a distribution deal with Dreamworks, a big player in entertainment. Robert knew TROBO would need a strong content partner to stand out.
Jeremy and Chris huddled, then agreed. On camera, it looked like they hit the jackpot. But, like many Shark Tank deals, things weren’t quite as simple off-air.
What Happened After the Show?
You might think getting a Shark’s investment would rocket a startup straight to the top. But with TROBO, things got tricky.
The Dreamworks angle proved far harder than they’d hoped. Negotiating with big studios means a lot of legal paperwork, licensing fees, and creative control issues. TROBO just didn’t have the resources to pull off a partnership at that level. The proposed deal fell through almost immediately after filming.
Meanwhile, Jeremy and Chris tried to keep pushing TROBO forward. They had some retail traction, but the growth just wasn’t as fast as they needed. The toy market, especially for educational gadgets, is tough. New apps popped up all the time, and staying ahead of updates was a huge grind.
The initial excitement led to more sales, but it didn’t last. After a few years of slow momentum, they stopped taking orders. By 2017, TROBO officially closed their doors.
Why Did TROBO Shut Down?
Startups don’t close overnight. For TROBO, there were a few big challenges that added up.
First, the content bottleneck: continuing to produce enough stories that were both fresh and compelling took far more time and investment than expected. STEM subjects can be tricky to make fun for little kids.
Second, the hardware itself was a challenge. Kids’ toys need to be durable, safe, and affordable—that’s a tough balance when you’re a small business.
Finally, the app market was moving fast. For parents, it was already tough deciding which STEM toy or educational app to buy. Major brands could undercut on price or outspend in marketing. TROBO just couldn’t keep up.
The fact that TROBO couldn’t land the Dreamworks deal—something Robert Herjavec considered non-negotiable—meant they never secured the capital or reach that a strategic partnership could have provided. Without that boost, things gradually fizzled.
Where Is TROBO Now? (2025 Update)
If you’re searching for TROBO in 2025, you’re out of luck. The official TROBO website is long gone. There’s no sign of the plush robots for sale on Amazon, Walmart, or independent online shops.
Founders Jeremy Scheinberg and Chris Harden have since moved on to other careers. The company’s net worth now stands at zero, since the product line and brand have been completely discontinued since 2017.
Sometimes you’ll find a used TROBO up for sale on secondary markets or eBay, but there’s no official support, app updates, or new content.
The closure was confirmed in both financial records and on social media, with the founders explaining their decision and thanking fans for their support. They were honest about the challenges and the realities of running a hardware-and-app business in a crowded space.
For families who bought TROBO in its early days, it was a fresh take on STEM learning—even if it never became a household name.
Lessons from the TROBO Story
TROBO’s story is not unusual for startups that get a brief flash of attention. Educational toys get a lot of buzz, but the path from idea to staying on shelves is long. Big brands can beat you on marketing and price, and parents have endless options.
Even after being spotlighted on Shark Tank, founders often run into hurdles not shown on TV. There’s the rush of attention, but then you have to deliver at scale and speed. Partnerships can fall apart, and content creation costs can balloon.
In the end, TROBO did get a shot—600 early sales, plenty of press, and a shot at a Shark Tank deal. But the challenges of hardware, content, and the crowded education market proved too big to crack.
If you’re interested in the stories of businesses post-Shark Tank, you’ll find more examples and lessons on ReadMyBusiness.com, where startup journeys are tracked in detail.
The Bottom Line for TROBO
TROBO was one of those inventive ideas that tried to make STEM learning approachable with a mix of cute design and clever tech. The dream was to have a robot sitting on your kid’s bed, telling them about science and solving problems together.
While it didn’t last, TROBO’s run offered a glimpse into how hard it is to break into toys and education. Sometimes, a Shark Tank moment is just a chapter, not the finish line. For parents and fans, TROBO remains a memory of one of the many creative, short-lived startups that took a chance on changing how kids learn.
