What Really Came Of Oru Kayak – The Fold-Up Boat From Shark Tank

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Big on outdoor adventures, but low on space? That's the exact dilemma budding entrepreneur Anton Willis faced and set out to solve via the Oru Kayak – a fold-up, 100% watertight boat that makes the business of storing and transporting the watercraft easy peasy! "I moved into a studio apartment in San Francisco and had to put my kayak in storage," Willis recalled to CNN Business in 2013 about his lightbulb moment. "And at the same time, I read this magazine article on origami and people doing new and amazing things with folding technologies, and that just got me thinking about if it would be possible to actually build a kayak and fold it up just like a piece of paper." EUREKA!

Following the epiphany, Willis brought on two more founders and partners, Roberto Gutierrez and Ardy Sobhani. The trio of founding fathers set out to raise more capital and secure a deal on — you guessed it — the popular reality television business series, "Shark Tank."

Row, row, row your [fold-up] boat ... all the way to ABC! Business partners and pals Anton Willis, Roberto Gutierrez, and Ardy Sobhani waltzed onto the set of ABC's "Shark Tank" in 2014 with one goal in mind: secure $500,000 in exchange for a 12% stake in their company, Oru Kayak. But as we all know, all is fair in love and "Shark Tank," and the appearance didn't go exactly as they had hoped.

While all of the "Shark Tank" investors, including Robert Herjavec, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, and Mark Cuban, initially appeared interested and even impressed with the product, in the end, it was only Herjavec who took the plunge and made the Oru Kayak crew an offer. "Sometimes I invest because, you know, I'm a Shark, and I want my money back ... and sometimes I just think it's really cool. But I'm still a Shark. Five hundred thousand for 25%," Herjavec offered the business hopefuls. 

As one can imagine, the offer was initially met with some resistance, including a counteroffer from Willis of $500,000 for a 15% stake and a seat on the board. In the end, however, Herjavec held firm, and both parties shook on his initial offer including 25% equity, allowing Oru Kayak to avoid the fate of fellow aquatic "Shark Tank" pitch ZUP Watersports board. But what happened following the product's five minutes of "Shark Tank" fame?

Sadly, nothing actually came of Oru Kayak's on-air handshake deal with "Shark Tank" investor Robert Herjavec. Although the founders have remained relatively quiet regarding the scrapped deal (presumably due to an airtight nondisclosure agreement), it can be assumed that the breakdown occurred during the due diligence phase, which isn't uncommon. "We poke holes, look for gaps in processes, and really try to understand what is driving the decisions that are being made," Herjavec explained to Inc.com back in 2017 about the process. 

Fortunately, even after the rescinded "Shark Tank" deal, the Oru Kayak team kept their heads above water. "By the time 'Shark Tank' aired in May 2014 to an audience of 10 million viewers, our manufacturing was running at full capacity, and we were able to manage a spike in orders that accompanied the broadcast. Since we filmed 'Shark Tank,' the Oru Kayak has received more mainstream TV exposure, most recently as a prize on The Price is Right," Anton Willis gushed to the Metropolis in November 2014.

In 2021, Oru Kayak went through a corporate shakeup when Solo Stove acquired the brand for an impressive $25.4 million. As of 2023, it appears that Willis has stepped away from the company. He wrote on LinkedIn, "After an incredibly rewarding but exhausting decade plus at Oru Kayak, I'm reorienting around family, travel, nature and craic in rural Ireland (no, I'm not Irish but I've always liked it here)."

Despite a Shark Tank deal that never came to fruition and leadership shakeups, Oru Kayak is still going strong. The company currently sells eight different models of their collapsible kayak, including a two-person kayak and models specially made for fishing and rough ocean waves. As of 2025, the price for their most basic model was $499, while the more advanced models go up in price to $1,999.

Oru has also branched out and now sells more than just their innovative collapsible kayaks. The company also offers a variety of accessories, including padded kayak seats, life vests, and mounts for everything from cups to cell phones to fishing poles. They have also applied their origami-inspired design ethos to outdoor furniture as well, with collapsible lounge chairs, tables, and multi-purpose cubes all available on their website. 

The company's success is reflected in reviews for their products. A review by CNN's Kai Burkhardt spoke highly of the portability of the kayaks, and noted that they are sturdier than their inflatable counterparts while still maintaining ease of use. "If you want to spend time paddling on the water this summer, but don't have the space or a roof rack for a traditional kayak, the Oru is one of the best and most portable boats you can buy," Burkhardt wrote. Meanwhile on Amazon, Oru's models range in review score from 4 to 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Whether you're exploring some of the most beautiful lakes in the Midwest or heading to the U.S.' top adventure kayaking destination, it looks like Oru Kayaks has you covered. Episodes of "Shark Tank" are available for purchase on Prime Video.