Hopscotch Coding App Update | Shark Tank Season 12
According to Samantha John, she’s created an app that helps young entrepreneurs start up their first business. She says that in a digital economy, lemonade stands are a thing of the past, and businesses need to be online-based. Her app will help with that! Will she hop away with a deal on
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Hopscotch after
Hopscotch appeared on
| Shark: | Result: |
| Mark Cuban | Accepted a deal of $550,000 for 11% equity |
| Kevin O’Leary | No Offer |
| Lori Greiner | No Offer |
| Barbara Corcoran | No Offer |
| Daymond John | No Offer |
Shark Tank Hopscotch Update
- Entrepreneur: Samantha John
- Business: Coding app that allows kids to create games
- Ask: $400,000 for 4% equity
- Result: $550,000 for 11% equity
- Shark: Mark Cuban
Samantha, the founder of the kid’s coding app Hopscotch, shared her innovative app with the sharks during
Essentially, Hopscotch teaches kids to code and allows them to create their own games and share them with other kids.
When Lori Greiner asked Samantha how she got into this field, she shared some history with the sharks. She said that growing up, she thought computers were for boys.
However, when she took her first computer science class in college, she found it to be empowering and creative. She then became interested in making things that people care about, and Hopscotch was born in 2012.
Samantha gave the sharks an opportunity to play some of the games that kids had created on Hopscotch, and they were all impressed.
Ironically, during the app demo, Mark Cuban told Samantha that he had fond memories of using the app with his children to make games while they were in school.
At the time of the pitch, it cost $8 month, or $80 a year to use the app. However, going forward, Samantha is hoping to remove the subscription service model and introduce an in-app currency.
This will allow the app to be available to everyone, let kids earn money for their games, and provide a healthier business model for Hopscotch.
Daymond John was the first shark to drop out, saying the deal had too many risks.
Lori was next to speak up, and she didn’t know how she could help Samantha, so she too was out.
Kevin O’Leary was also out, as he had no desire to re-enter the computer industry. B
arbara Corcoran dropped out as well. She didn’t feel that Samantha was confident in her business plan, and that made her uneasy.
Due to his positive experience with the app, Mark made Samantha an offer of $400,000 for 16% equity. However, after some negotiations, Hopscotch made a deal with Mark Cuban for $550,000 for 11% equity.
What happened following the tank? Keep reading our Hopscotch update to find out!
As far as a Hopscotch update goes, the kid’s coding app is still going strong and has received a 500% increase in downloads since
The app is available for download on Apple devices and you can also try it out online. At the time of writing, Hopscotch is still using its subscription-focused business model, but they do offer a free 7-day trial.
That’s great news for those who wish to let their kids sample the program to see if they’re interested.
We have good news for educators too! On the Hopscotch website, teachers have access to free lesson plans and accounts!
That’s great news since many programs these days are geared toward teaching coding to kids.
If we get more news on a Hopscotch update, we’ll be sure to let you know! In the meantime, be sure to check out updates on the other companies featured in Episode 15:
For more Season 12 products, be sure to check out our Season 12 Products page.
Andrew Smith is the founder and owner of Shark Tank Recap. He is a longtime Shark Tank fan that has been watching it for years and has seen every episode multiple times. His friends know him as the Shark Tank expert, because he can answer any question about the show! His favorite Shark Tank products are Bertello's pizza oven and Bug Bite Thing!