Bruw Before Shark Tank
We’ve been drinking coffee for at least the past 300 years. Coffee is known as a great way to start your day. Unfortunately, whenever it is boiled, it develops an acidic taste that is unpleasant and so most people realize that the best way to enjoy their coffee is to sweeten it with milk and sugar. However, a new method of coffee-making has been gaining popularity amongst coffee lovers because it removes this acidic problem: cold-brewing.
Cold brewing is a method of brewing coffee that doesn’t involve using heat. The coffee can be left to soak in cold water for a period of time and then drank without any boiling. The process takes longer but it does reduce the amount of acid created when brewing. The low acid means that some people find it easier on their stomachs.
Cold brewing has been increasing in popularity but an effective way to filter it was lacking for a long time. Normal filters would either let the coffee pass through or not even let the water pass through. Max Feber had experienced this problem being a 15-year-old drinker of coffee so he set started working on a solution to the problem. He soon came up with Bruw.
The Bruw device is a lid with a filter that can filter coffee effectively. Max made it at home from his screen door. The Bruw lid can be fit onto the average mason jar and it is equipped with a straw. To use it just pour your coffee into a regular jar and close it with the Bruw lid and leave it to soak. When ready, pour it out through the filter on the lid.
Max had started Bruw when he was 16 years old but was 18 and he wanted to level up by increasing production and lowering cost so he reached out to Shark Tank. The show featured him on the 9th Episode of the 10th season.
Bruw on Shark Tank
Kevin started by asking Max how many people made cold-brew coffee. Max said that it was a growing trend and some major coffee houses were changing the making process and could charge $2 to $3 more. Robert then asked him if he only sold the filter or the mason jars too. Max said that their best-selling product was the coffee filter with a straw which had a sales price range of $15-$20 and it cost $4 to make. However, he hoped with new machinery, its price of manufacture would drop to $1.50.
Max then said that he sold it online but he was targeting big-box retail. Kevin asked him where he would want to be in big-box retail. Max said that he wanted to be somewhere like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, or Target. Robert then asked Max if he had competition.
Max said that there were others but their prices were much higher ranging from $50-$250 and used more machinery. There was nothing for somebody who wanted to make a simple cup of coffee. Kevin then asked him what his sales figures were.
Max said that his revenue in the past year was $50,000 and he expected to make $100,000 that year. Mark Cuban asked him if he was going to go to college and Max said that he was already in college and he had just finished his first year. He was majoring in business. He had been watching Shark Tank since he was 8 years old.
Lori asked him if he had a patent and Max said that the patent for the product had been approved 5 days before. He had found a company that would do the patents for free for him. Kevin then offered Max the $50,000 he had asked for but for 50% of the company.
Robert asked what Max would do with the $50,000 if it was offered to him. Max said that he would start the production process that would reduce the cost of the product. Robert asked him if he thought that cost was his problem. Max said that he did think that it was his problem because being able to sell it at $4.99 would make it a major convenience.
Daymond said that he would be willing to help Max get a licensing deal but would be asking for $50,000 for 30%. He didn’t think that Max knew enough about retail or business and so would need a lot of guidance. Daymond also said that he had successfully worked with people from Babson who had taken their company Bombas from doing $800,000 in sales to having a valuation of $150,000,000. The company had been featured on Shark Tank and got a deal from Daymond.
Robert then left. He said that he didn’t think that it was a full-time business for Max because he would be busy with class. Mark Cuban then told Max that he didn’t understand why he wanted to lower prices. Max said that he thought that it would lead to an increase in sales. Mark Cuban disagreed with his concept of selling more while making less.
Mark Cuban then offered him 50,000 for 30%. Max accepted the offer. Max said that he was very happy to get the deal and work with one of the sharks he was aspiring to be.
Bruw Now in 2025 – The After Shark Tank Update
Bruw was acquired by Snarky Tea, a company that was featured on Shark Tank’s 9th season and got a deal from Kevin O’Leary. Snarky Tea makes iced tea and Bruw changed its name to Bruwtea and now makes filters specifically for iced tea products. Bruwtea has expanded its line of products and now sells flavors of iced tea along with its filters.
On social media, Bruwtea has more than 2,000 followers on Facebook and more than 8,300 followers on Instagram. It also provides wholesalers with the option of making purchases directly on its site. The products are made in the USA and the retail price of the product has not gone beyond $30.
Although now focusing on tea, Bruw still continues with its original intention of making filters for beverages affordable providing a great brewing experience at an affordable price.