What Really Became Of Trippie From Shark Tank?

ABC's "Shark Tank" has often been hailed as the secret weapon for budding entrepreneurs, sometimes serving as a last-ditch effort to come up with the money they need to take their idea or business to the next level. The reality television series debuted in 2009, and by 2019, The Hustle said it had churned out a whopping 499 deals and a staggering $143.8 million in investment capital. Cha-ching! "It's just the American Dream and a platform for all Americans to come together," the show's Daymond John gushed during a 2023 ATX TV Festival panel (via People). 

But as the old adage goes, you can't win 'em all ... and sadly, college basketball player turned travel app founder Ryan Diew learned this sentiment all too well when he gave his carefully rehearsed elevator pitch for Trippie, an app he boasted was the "go-to for navigating airports." According to Diew, "The arrival of Trippie means a departure of your airport stress." Essentially a how-to guide to navigate a busy airport — all in the palm of your hand. What's not to love, right?!

There's no crying in baseball "Shark Tank." It's safe to say that Trippie app founder Ryan Diew's 2017 appearance on Season 9, Episode 2 of the hit reality television show was nothing short of a disaster. Not only did every judge pass on Diew's request for $100,000 in capital in exchange for a 10% stake in Trippie, but he actually walked away in tears. "It was the first time I faced real adversity with Trippie and I was humbled," Diew confessed to David Powers in a 2017 interview with The Hum. "I had only heard positive feedback about Trippie and then it got ripped to shreds, and I wasn't used to that. That's where that immaturity came in. I didn't handle rejection well."

While the general consensus among the judges was that the product simply wasn't ready and that there was nothing proprietary about the app, it appears they weren't too happy with Diew's attitude either. When he lamented that he didn't have "a rich uncle" to help him take the app to the next level, "Shark Tank" judge Robert Herjavec stopped him in his tracks. The judge informed Diew that his own father worked in a factory and his mother was a receptionist. "You just got to deal with the reality of what you have. You've got to be more innovative. That's the beauty of being an entrepreneur. You get to create value," he said.

But whatever became of Trippie? Funny, you should ask ... 

Down but not out! According to Ryan Diew, he used his less-than-stellar appearance on ABC's "Shark Tank" as motivation to take his company even further. "Now, we are currently the No. 1 airport app in the U.S.," he boasted in his 2017 The Hum interview. The same year, he told Business 2 Community he had managed to snag 22 airports across the world — up from the previous four. Sadly, however, by 2020, the pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions (i.e., "The Great Travel Depression") had taken a toll on the app. In an effort to keep the app up and running, Diew pivoted and shifted his sights to domestic travel and provided tips on traveling safely amid a global pandemic.

Fast forward to 2023, and the app did weather the storm. It should be noted, however, that while the app is still available for free on Apple's App Store, its official website is now defunct, and its Twitter and Instagram are rarely updated. As for Diew, a 2022 article by The Colgate Maroon-News referred to him as "an investing businessman with a vested interest in basketball." Onward and upward!