MrBeast has made a major deal on Shark Tank after investing $250,000 in an AI-powered toy called Ball 2. The YouTuber appeared as a guest Shark alongside Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold during the Season 18 premiere. The pair agreed to take a 55% stake in the company behind the toy. The deal came after MrBeast admitted that the $69 ball reminded him of being a kid. However, he also questioned whether customers would be willing to pay that much for a toy ball.
MrBeast takes 55% stake in AI-powered Ball 2 after striking $250,000 Shark Tank deal
MrBeast and Housenbold invested $250,000 for a 55% stake in Sperry Labs, the company that makes Ball 2. The deal was made during the Season 18 premiere of Shark Tank, which aired on September 30.Sperry Labs founders Andrew Brown and Kevin Langdon entered the show asking for $200,000 in exchange for 10% of their company. The two founders are first cousins from rural Pennsylvania.Ball 2 is not a normal toy ball. It is made from foam and has sensors inside it. These sensors can track things such as throws, spins and bounces. The ball does not need to be charged.The toy also works with a phone app. Players can tell the app what kind of game they want to play, and its AI creates rules for the game in just a short time. During the pitch, the founders showed this by creating a game called “10 Feet of Death” inside the Shark Tank.The company has a five-person team. Brown is a game designer who previously worked at Electronic Arts. The founders also said they had funded the company themselves without outside investment.
MrBeast questioned Ball 2’s $69 price before deal
MrBeast appeared interested in Ball 2 because the toy reminded him of his childhood. He said he could imagine himself at 13 or 14 years old talking to the AI and playing with the ball.However, he also raised a concern about its price. Ball 2 costs $69, and MrBeast pointed out that some customers may look at it and think, “Wow, $69 for a ball.”The founders revealed that they had already sold around 1,300 balls and made about $74,000 in sales since launching less than six months earlier. Each ball costs about $13.29 to make.Team Beast first offered $300,000 for 66% of the company. The founders pushed back and asked for a smaller share of their business. After negotiations, both sides agreed on $250,000 for 55%.Housenbold also pointed to Beast’s existing toy business, which already sells products through stores such as Walmart, Target and Amazon. After the deal, he said he was excited about making TikToks with Ball 2.MrBeast’s Shark Tank appearance ended with a major deal for Ball 2. Despite questioning the toy’s $69 price, he and Housenbold saw enough potential to invest $250,000 and take a 55% stake in the company.