Let’s call out one of the biggest Shark Tank myths right now: getting a deal on TV means you’ve made it. Truth is, half the time, that check never clears. The journey starts when the cameras turn off. If you’re a hustler, a founder, or just someone who wants to see the underbelly of the post-Shark Tank life, Origaudio’s story is your kind of business autopsy. So, did the quirky origami speaker company ride the Shark Tank wave to become a household name, or did it fizzle out once the lights faded? Grab your seat; this is the real backstory, straight from someone who’s seen what happens after the pitch.
Why Origaudio’s Shark Tank Pitch Still Matters
Origaudio landed on Season 2, Episode 7 of Shark Tank—back when the show still ran like the Wild West. The pitch was electric, the product was weird (in a fun way), and the founders were the kind of operators who don’t bluff on their numbers. They asked for $150,000 in exchange for 15% equity, putting their self-worth at a million bucks. Back in 2011, those were gutsy numbers for a portable speaker startup. Flash forward to 2025—Origaudio is still a buzzword on startup Reddit threads, and for good reason. This isn’t just about selling a widget—it’s about knowing your worth, playing the Sharks, and making money moves when everyone else is just chasing TV clout.
The Founders: Brains Behind the Box
Meet Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak: Not your typical MBA robots. These guys were road warriors, traveling for work, sick of burning through batteries and hauling clunky speakers. Their solution? An eco-friendly, foldable speaker that looked like a Chinese takeout box and powered itself through a headphone jack. It was cheap to make, easy to brand, and built for the promo products wave that was just about to crest. I respect founders who scratch their own itch. Building a real business starts with solving a problem you live with. That’s exactly what Jason and Mike did.
What Was the Shark Tank Ask?
Here’s the scoreboard: Origaudio asked for $150,000 for 15% equity. That’s a $1 million valuation before they even paid themselves a salary. Their numbers were solid—$750,000 in sales during their first year. For context, most Season 2 companies barely touched six figures before pitching. Jason and Mike were playing a different game. The logic in their ask? They saw volume, a growing logo-mad market, and the chance to scale fast with the right cash and connections.
If you’ve ever sat in a pitch room, you know when someone’s sandbagging versus when they’re aiming for a knockout. These guys were playing offense—the kind of confidence Sharks love but always try to buy for less.
Deal or No Deal: Who Made Offers and What Went Down
Cue the Shark Tank drama. Kevin O’Leary grumbled about margins. Barbara Corcoran sniffed over scalability. And Mark Cuban calculated how big the pie could really get. But here’s where it gets good—Origaudio got three legit offers. Robert Herjavec offered exactly what they asked: $150,000 for 15%. Most founders would have caved for less after a little Shark bullying. Not these guys. They held the line.
Accepting Robert’s offer was a textbook move, but here’s where the reality check comes in: The deal never closed after filming. This happens a lot—startups agree on air, then walk away once the cameras go dark and the due diligence gets real.
I’ve seen founders regret holding out for more, but Jason and Mike? Their sales soared post-show. They used the Shark Tank hype to drive revenue, build leverage, and keep their company. That’s smart money—Bombas did it, so did Coffee Meets Bagel. Origaudio played it the same way.
Net Worth: How Big Did Origaudio Get Before Selling Out?
Let’s talk real numbers. Did this origami speaker in a box turn into a cash machine? Short answer—yes. The year after Shark Tank, Origaudio doubled its revenue. No one is tossing out a public net worth, but industry insiders put the company at multi-millions before the exit.
They never took on more rounds or overplayed their hand. They rode the promo swag boom, kept margins tight, and scaled smart. While the final sale price to HUB Promotional Group stayed under wraps, the fact that Origaudio commanded enough for a full acquisition tells you they built a healthy business. If you want to know what real net worth looks like in startup world, it’s this: build something a big player is willing to buy instead of copy.
Life After the Tank: Origaudio’s Growth and Acquisition
After the Shark Tank episode aired, things exploded. Orders and inbound leads skyrocketed. The buzz let them expand their line from speakers to customizable headphones and other branded tech gear. They hit the corporate promo sweet spot: cheap to produce, easy to customize, and the right fit for every swag bag at every trade show.
Growth doubled year-over-year, and they kept their team lean. That’s the kind of discipline that lets you keep options open. Eventually, the phone rang with a real exit—not Shark checks, but acquisition talks. Origaudio sold to HUB Promotional Group—an industry heavyweight hungry for innovative, fast-moving brands.
I’ve seen startups spend years chasing this kind of buyout. Origaudio landed it in less than a decade. The business transformed from scrappy direct-to-consumer to wholesale, then became a staple in HUB’s portfolio. The product lives, but the founder hustle pays off.
Does Origaudio Still Exist?
Here’s the question that keeps coming up in side-hustler forums: Do Origaudio products still exist, or did everything vanish after the sale? The answer is clear—Origaudio lives on, but not as a standalone company. You’ll find their speakers and branded tech gadgets inside HUB Promotional Group’s lineup.
The Chinese takeout box speaker is still there, now surrounded by more high-end gear and bulk swag items. HUB used Origaudio’s quirky brand as a front door for new, customizable tech. If you thought Shark Tank brands fade once acquired, this one proves otherwise.
Where Are the Founders Now?
Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak didn’t take their chips and run. After the HUB acquisition, they stayed in the promotional products scene, advising, speaking, and investing in the next wave of startup hustlers. Jason is active on LinkedIn and in entrepreneur circles, handing out real talk on bumper-sticker business wisdom. Mike pops up in interviews and promo swag podcasts. These guys are serial builders—don’t be surprised if you see their names on another product line soon.
Here’s a lesson: Founders who exit but stay involved are usually in it for the game, not just the money.
Key Takeaways for Future Founders
Let’s distill this journey into hard lessons:
- The Shark Tank deal is a marketing tool, not a payday.
- Confident, numbers-driven pitches win offers. Clarity beats jargon.
- Your first-year sales matter more than your story. $750k in twelve months will always impress.
- Don’t be afraid to walk from a deal if your traction keeps growing.
- Build lean. Scale fast, but don’t compromise margins for hype.
- Use the TV moment for what it is—a massive free funnel. Hustle every lead, build your brand.
- The flashiest deal doesn’t always close. Stay flexible, play the long game, and look for exits, not gimmicks.
Origaudio did all of this. That’s why they’re still in the promo product conversation when most drop off after Shark Tank season re-runs.
FAQs
1. Is Origaudio still in business?
Yes—Origaudio exists as a product line under HUB Promotional Group, not as an indie startup.
2. Did Origaudio ever close the deal with Robert Herjavec?
No, the deal was accepted on camera but never closed after explosive post-show growth.
3. What made Origaudio’s product different from other speakers?
Foldable, powered via headphone jack, and made of recycled material—cheap, easy, eco-friendly, totally customizable.
4. How much did Origaudio sell for?
The final sale price to HUB Promotional Group is undisclosed, but revenue doubled year over year until exit.
5. Are the founders still involved with Origaudio?
They helped the transition post-acquisition and are still active in business circles, though not on daily operations.
6. Who owns Origaudio now?
HUB Promotional Group owns the brand and product line as of 2025.
7. How much revenue did Origaudio generate after Shark Tank?
They doubled year-over-year sales after TV. Early figures were already at $750,000 in the first year.
8. Can you still buy Origaudio products today?
Absolutely. Check out HUB Promotional Group’s site for current customizable products.
The Bottom Line from SharkWorth
Origaudio didn’t just get their fifteen minutes on Shark Tank—they flipped the exposure into a real, scalable business, then cashed out at the right time. When people say they got a deal! on TV, remember: the actual win is what you do once the applause dies down. That’s the SharkWorth way.
Want to build your own post-pitch empire? Take a page from Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak: bet on your numbers, use every ounce of hype, and never let a Shark write your story for you.
