Alan Kaufman appeared in the Shark Tank season 1 episode 14 with an innovative product. A hands-free umbrella that saves you from the rain, wind, and sun without you having to hold it.
Alan asked for $200,000 dollars for 25% of his company and ended up striking a deal with Daymond John and Kevin Harrington for $200,000 dollars in exchange for a whopping 51% of his business.
Tired of the traditional umbrellas, Alan wanted to create an umbrella that is hands-free and impossible to invert and that’s how he came up with the idea of the Nubrella.
After hitting an infinite amount of roadblocks the business is still up and running. Alan changed the company from Nubrella to The Canope.
He sells it via the official website as well as in popular online marketplaces like Amazon.
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What is Nubrella?
Umbrellas are commonly used today in every region of the world. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and styles.
They are constructed out of a variety of materials, including cloth, paper, plastic, and metal, among others.
When it’s raining, you must need an umbrella. Period. In addition to that, you can carry them as an accessory to your outfit.
Some people choose to use umbrellas so that they can protect themselves from the scorching heat of the sun.
The use of an umbrella to shield oneself from the rain is not only a practical but also a pleasantly aesthetically beautiful method of doing so.
But operating an umbrella also has several challenges to contend with. These kinds of issues would make life very difficult for someone who uses the product on a regular basis.
There are not many things in life that are more aggravating than attempting to hold on to your umbrella as it is being blown around by strong winds.
This can be a very difficult task, and we are confident that you have tried a wide variety of solutions in an effort to assist keep your umbrella in place.
Consider the challenge of finding an umbrella that is not only stylish but also built to resist strong gusts of wind in the first place.
In the event that you do not own an umbrella that can withstand the force of the wind, there is a good chance that it will collapse or even flip inside out.
When you open your umbrella, you need to keep one hand on the handle and the other hand on the tip of the umbrella so that it doesn’t be blown away by the wind.
This may help protect the umbrella from flying away, but it’s inconvenient.
Let’s say you’re outside and when all other options are exhausted, you look for somewhere to take cover from the wind and rain.
This could be under a tree, in a structure, or somewhere else that provides protection from the wind and rain.
It may also be challenging to maintain a comfortable body temperature during the wet season. The wind can make it feel even colder than it already is, and the weather is typically cold and damp.
It can be very challenging to maintain a comfortable body temperature if you do not have the appropriate clothing and equipment.
Putting on multiple layers of clothing can assist you to trap heat, which will in turn help you stay warm.
In order to protect yourself from the wet weather, you wear an outer layer that is waterproof. So much hassle right?
You can experiment with a wide variety of solutions, such as donning a hat in the mistaken belief that this will keep your head and ears warm.
If you don’t have a hat, you might want to try covering your head with a scarf or a hoodie instead. If your garments get wet, it would be quite difficult for you to maintain your body temperature.
Traditional umbrellas do not do a very good job of keeping you warm, which is something you probably already know if you live in an area that gets a lot of rain.
When you’re soaked through and shivering, the last thing you want to do is stand outside in the cold.
What happens, though, if you simply don’t have the time to go inside? Or, what if you can’t get outside because it’s pouring outside?
There are a few things you must have tried to stay warm while using a traditional umbrella.
Like making sure you’re wearing appropriate clothing like a raincoat thinking it will help keep you dry, but maybe you don’t have one so you try a jacket or sweater.
Tried to stay in the sun to? If you can, find a spot where the sun is shining through the rain. This will help you stay warm.
Finally, if you’re really cold, try huddling under the umbrella with someone else. This will help you share body heat and stay warm.
Despite these tips, traditional umbrellas are still not the best way to stay warm in the rain.
If you can, invest in a product we’re going to introduce, it will do a much better job of keeping you warm and dry. So, the next time you’re cold and wet, remember that there are ways to stay warm.
We all know the pain of carrying an umbrella and trying to do anything else at the same time.
Whether we’re juggling bags, holding a baby, or just trying to keep our balance, an umbrella can be a real pain. And that’s why traditional umbrellas just don’t cut it when it comes to hands-free use.
Sure, you could try to prop your umbrella up against your body or a wall, but then you’re just asking for it to blow away or fall over.
And if you’re really unlucky, you’ll end up getting poked in the eye by the pointy end. Ouch! So what’s the solution? A hands-free umbrella, of course!
These umbrellas have a built-in strap or handle that goes around your wrist or abdomen, so you can keep your hands free while still staying dry.
There are all sorts of hands-free umbrellas on the market, the one we’re talking about today is called Nubrella. And trust us, once you try one of these, you’ll never go back to the traditional kind!
So next time you’re caught in a rainstorm, don’t be caught holding an umbrella – go hands-free with Nubrella!
Hands-free umbrellas like Nubrellas are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason! There are a lot of benefits of using a hands-free umbrella-like – You can keep your hands free for other things.
This is especially helpful if you’re carrying bags or children. It’s also more comfortable. Holding an umbrella can get tiring after a while, but with a Nubrella, you can stroll comfortably.
You also look more stylish. Let’s be honest, Nubrella just looks cooler. So if you’re looking for a stylish and practical replacement for your traditional umbrella, consider a hands-free option, Nubrella. You’ll be glad you did.
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Nubrella Shark Tank Pitch (What Happened at the Show)
In shark tank Season 1 Episode 14, Alan Kaufman entered the tank with a solution for the standard umbrella’s outdated, awkward design.
In order to raise money and get help with marketing and distribution, Kaufman made the decision to present his idea in front of the sharks.
Kaufman asked for a $200,000 investment for 25% shares of his company. He has already invested more than 900,000 of his personal funds in the creation of the product.
In order to build his business, he mentions he needs more talent and marketing tools in addition to the shark’s actual money.
Kaufman contends that it is impossible to flip his Nubrella. Additionally, it reduces wind, helping the user stay warm in chilly conditions, and it is completely hands-free.
Daymond John and Robert Herjavec immediately inquired about trying them on.
Barbara Corcoran asks about the weight and other specs of the Nubrella fabric. As he responds to questions about the product, Kaufman’s confidence increases noticeably.
Kevin Harrington interrupts with a question about sales. According to Kaufman, the gadget has had 3000 sales through word-of-mouth, and a recent production change resulted in a price reduction from $49.95 to $29.95, representing a save of $ 14.
Kaufman says that the overwhelming demand prevents him from completing orders. The question is whether Kaufman has a patent on his idea, as Daymond John points out.
He has a patent pending in other nations, in addition to the one in the United States.
Nubrella, according to Barbara Corcoran, is an excessively specialized product. While Kevin Harrington offers $200,000 in exchange for 65% of the company’s shares, the Lack of distribution channels causes Kevin O’Leary to back out of the deal.
Harrington’s offers are denied by Kaufman, who then makes a counter with a 35% equity stake. Harrington accepts Daymond John’s offer to join him, reducing his share of the company to 50%.
Daymond and Kevin Harrington, two sharks, enjoy this concept but need only one more percent to seal the sale.
The two investors believe that it will require a lot of personal effort on their part to make the Nubrella successful and that, in order to do so, they need to have a joint controlling interest.
The two Sharks reduce their initial offer from the $200,000.00 that Kaufman was seeking to 51% of the umbrella business. An agreement was reached during Alan’s Shark Tank appearance when he agreed to these terms.
In return, Kaufman offers a 50% ownership share in the company. The shark claims that in order to exert influence over the company, they need to acquire 51% of it.
After a few awkward minutes, Kaufman agrees, and they all reach an agreement.
Nubrella Shark Tank Update (What Happened AFTER the Show)
Due to disagreements between Alan and the Sharks, the deal did not finalize.
Since his debut on Shark Tank, Alan has made a number of public remarks in which he has claimed that the program is “pre-scripted,” “manufactured,” and “a fake,” and that it has destroyed his company by featuring stale repetitions of his goods.
Company Name | Nubrella |
Founder | Alan Kaufman |
Product | Hands-free umbrella, Nubrella |
Asked For | $200,000 Dollars for 25% |
Final Deal | $200,000 Dollars for 51% |
Sharks | Daymond John and Kevin Harrington |
Episode | Season 1 Episode 14 |
Air Date | 5 February 2010 |
Business Status | In business |
Net Worth | Unknown |
Alan also took Shark Tank to Court. So what took place? Alan claims that from the original arrangement, neither Daymond nor Kevin gave him a single cent.
After suing and winning a $20,000 settlement, Alan continued to file cases.
He filed a second complaint against Shark Tank’s creators, ABC, and Sony Pictures Television, charging them with negligence and breach of fiduciary responsibility for failing to disclose to viewers that his subsequent episode was “manufactured.”
Producers called him back to film a follow-up episode after the first lawsuit was settled.
In his testimony, Alan said that while the producers had told Daymond to look for a distribution partner to provide the impression that the investment was progressing, the partnering firm, Sharper Image, had really recently filed for bankruptcy.
Alan was also unaware of the producer’s intention to sell Shark Tank repeats to numerous domestic and international TV networks.
Alan claims that the re-runs have made it more difficult for him to recruit new partners since many believe Nubrella is still associated with the insolvent Sharper Image and don’t want anything to do with them.
Sadly for Alan, the court decided in favor of the producers, and the case was dismissed. At this point, Alan brought Nubrella to the crowdsourcing website Indiegogo.
Only 9% of the campaign’s aim had been attained and it was declared a failure. So from all the information available on the internet, it is safe to say that Nubrella did not thrive after appearing on Shark Tank.
Alan’s former web developer also recently published a piece on Medium that painted a bad picture of their working relationship.
The creator of Nubrella is said to have paid the web developer half of the project’s upfront fees then disappeared once it was complete.
After speaking with the site developer, Alan said that his product’s brilliance had gone unnoticed for years due to the negative publicity its affiliation with Shark Tank had brought about.
Alan then went on to change the name of the whole brand. The hands-free wearable umbrella and shade system became “Canope”, formerly known as Nubrella.
The product has been improved to offer more protection from more severe weather situations, such as rain and sun.
The device has a set of adjustable straps that are touted as being “one-size-fits-all” to accommodate the majority of consumers.
Since the Canope is 26 inches wide, it can be easily inserted through most ordinary doors without having to retract the entire apparatus. This may still be done using the quick-release buttons on the Capone’s sides.
According to Canope, the “Nubrella” at the time had translucent plastic on the front and sides and was created with the primary intention of shielding consumers from the rain.
Inquiries from businesses like Chick-fil-A and Disney encouraged the creator to develop the product.
With the change in name to Canope, the transparent plastic has been replaced with a high UVA-rated fabric so that it may be used both as a rain shield and a sunshade.
It now delivers both sun and rain protection. And has a bunch of new features like –
- Two elements that are in high demand are the new open-front design, which allows for unobstructed vision and communication.
- Canope just serves the purpose of a hood, moving back and forth according to requirements. It stores away on the user’s back while it is not in use, eliminating the need to carry anything!
- Allows for Hands-Free navigation
- Made of a high-grade UV sun reflective material for hands-free sun protection.
- Patented aerodynamic Canope is impossible to invert and blocks wind chill keeping the user significantly warmer.
Is Nubrella Still in the Business?
Alan rebranded the firm as a Canope in 2020. As of July 2021, he is still selling products on both his website and Amazon, bringing in total annual revenue of more than one million dollars.
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Meet the Nubrella Founders
Alan’s life journey began when he started high school in the 1980s. He went to St John Preparatory School for four years till 1984. He was a part of the tennis team there.
After graduating from High school he went to Purdue University. He studied marketing there and also got a full tennis scholarship.
Alan started Harvard Cellular Communications a few years later. When Cingular Wireless was still around, HCC served as an authorized agent for the company.
The greater Boston and NYC metropolitan areas’ Cingular Wireless-branded shops were owned and managed by HCC. In the end, Alan sold his stores back to Cingular, which later changed its name to AT&T Wireless.
At one point in his career, he was also a Part-time tennis professional at the highly acclaimed The County Club which was located at Chestnut Hill. He then finally started what we know him for.
One rainy day Alan witnessed people laboring in New York on a very windy, wet day, while he was sitting at a coffee shop and discovered that the weather changes suddenly and saw an umbrella in a trash can just because the hard winds broke it.
He had the idea for “Nubrella” at that same moment.
These events contributed to Alan Kaufman considering new designs for the umbrella, a product that has been around for millennia.
He began drawing on his napkin, which he later used to create the Nubrella, his invention. His invention eventually appeared after he drew out the first concept and presented it to various manufacturing companies.
From there, Alan collaborated with a number of top product design and engineering companies to realize his vision.
The answer they came up with was universal, hands-free weather protection that may be worn in any circumstance, Nubrella.
Alan has also done some volunteer work. He is a court-appointed guardian for foster children for 4 years now since 2018.
He was also a part of an organization called “Big brothers Big Sisters of America” where he was a big brother to Brandon starting at age 6.
Because Brandon’s mother Gail wanted the best for her son, she decided to get in touch with the organization.
Alan claims that the four years he spent with Brandon were the best and most rewarding of his entire life because they were spent with Brandon.
Brandon obtained his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University in June of 2020. Alan felt an overwhelming sense of pride for Brandon’s achievement.
To this day, Brandon maintains the view that Alan had a significant impact on his formative years. Brandon, Gail, and Alan are still good friends, and they keep in regular contact with one another.
What are People saying about Nubrella?
Some folks are thrilled by the idea of being able to walk without having to juggle an umbrella along with their other items.
Others are grateful that they no longer have to worry about holding an umbrella while using their phone or carrying a bag, two activities that were previously difficult to do.
People find Nubrella good when they have to carry things in the rain. One of the consumers says “Excellent buy! “Whenever I wear it, everyone wants one!”
On the other hand, a person who lives in New York says, “I needed to go shopping for groceries. Despite videos demonstrating how wonderfully the item works in windy conditions, the slight breeze in New York City made me apprehensive. It held up nicely, boosting my confidence.
I was able to cram some items into the backpack while keeping my head protected by the Nubrella by holding one bag in each of my other two hands.
Prior to this one, I had to carry a parcel with both hands on a rainy day. Even back then, it was helpful.”
The photographer who has worked on rainy days says “The greatest addition to my photography equipment has been Nubrella.
It has served as both rain and sun protection for me. It’s fantastic to have my hands free while receiving weather protection”
According to the needs and usage of the client, Nubrella has both benefits and drawbacks. One customer who is a farmer and planned to use the product in the field said it was not very useful for him.
Nubrella only saved his head from getting soaked. Even a little wind can allow water to soak your chest and arms. He gave Nubrella 2 stars on amazon.
So, for certain users, this is a fantastic product and for some, it is not much useful. Some users have even complained about the shipping. For one user it took the product 3 years to arrive.
How to Use Nubrella
- Simply hang the Nubrella as a backpack.
- Press the button to collapse the Canope and rotate the lever to put the Canope up. Comes with Hook and loop detachable waistband.
- An elastic band at the waist keeps extra strap length in order.
- Gust busters help air move through the Canope and rip-stop nylon on the outside.
- Rip nylon on the outside.
- (It has an adjustable chest strap that can replace the waistband for light use).
Nubrella Pricing Model
The Retail price for Nubrella is $99.99 and on their official website, it is now available for $74.99.
Nubrella Unique selling point/USP?
The unique selling point is that it keeps your hands free and comes with a specially designed backpack with two sizable zipped pockets made of waterproof material.
Nubrella Competitors
Huriia
Dr. Humeira S. Ahmed is the proprietor, visionary founder, and creative mastermind of Huriia’s wearable umbrella holder, an invention that fundamentally altered the manner in which people carry umbrellas.
She graduated from Creighton University with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and is currently employed as a pharmacy manager in Northern California.
She finds herself traveling to many different parts of the world whenever she is not attending to the needs of her patients.
She perceives the world from the perspective of an outsider and enjoys experiencing different cultures, all while using her unique way of thinking to find solutions to challenges. Her objective is to make everyone’s lives a little bit simpler.
A soft rain fell on the day when Huriia was born in the Japanese gardens located in Portland, Oregon. At every turn, Hurria’s founder Humeira couldn’t resist but capture shots of the scenery.
The brilliant colors were unlike anything else she had ever seen, and they were enough to ignite the photographer within her.
At first, She thought it would be easy, but then she discovered that there was no way for her to shoot the pictures while holding the umbrella at the same time. It was either one or the other for her to choose.
And just like that, the brilliant concept of an exquisite umbrella holder that one can wear dawned on her like a flash of lightning. That’s when she made up her mind to completely revolutionize the umbrella business.
According to the company’s official website, The early concept of Huriia, back when the idea didn’t have a name, began with a lot of time spent traveling the world as a solo, independent traveler.
During these trips, holding an umbrella caused a great deal of discomfort and frustration, which limited the ability to engage in fundamentally enjoyable activities such as taking photos, holding the phone, eating on the go, holding a child, carrying a bag, and simply experiencing effortless ease of comfort.
This served as the impetus for the development of Huriia.
It was clear that there wasn’t a simple answer to a problem that needed to seem seamless, have a minimum footprint, be comfortable, has a quality feel, and provide complete freedom while remaining secure.
It was quite evident that action was required in response to this issue.
Huriia was born out of the desire to change this, as well as a love for independence and freedom, together with a feeling of perfectionism and the overcoming of numerous barriers.
Huriia is unstoppable in its pursuit of delivering freedom. The name Huriia originates from Arabic and means “freedom”.
Will Nubrella from Shark Tank succeed? Here’s our Prediction
Nubrella has been through ups and down a lot. Both the company and the founder have seen a lot of problems and roadblocks in the journey. The founder of Nubrella is a former marketing student.
The marketing of the product was on point even before Alan bought it on Shark Tank. In today’s world, it’s all about marketing. It doesn’t matter if you have the best product in the world if no one is aware of it or knows where to find it.
That’s why marketing is so important. It’s the key to getting your product out there and making it known to the masses.
It’s the marketing that will make people aware of your product and what it has to offer. It’s the marketing that will convince people to buy your product. And it’s the marketing that will keep people coming back for more.
Without marketing, a good product is nothing. With marketing, a good product can be everything. The product had already taken off before Alan even presented it in the Tank.
So it is safe to say that the marketing of this business is in capable hands and is being taken care of.
Despite facing several challenges throughout the course of its more than 15 years in operation, Nubrella is still in operation today because of the resilience of its creator, Alan Kaufman.
The business underwent a rebranding in 2020 and is now known as The Canope.
Today, Canope counts thousands of residential and business clients throughout more than 70 nations.
Alan heads a talented team from his home base of Boca Raton, Florida, with the goal of revolutionizing the umbrella and personal weather protection industries.
With such grit and the ability to not give up, it is safe to say that the company is in good hands and is set to keep succeeding in the future.