If you saw Season 14 of Shark Tank, you might remember Metric Mate. They were the three-person team pitching a sleek TAP sensor – a fitness tracking device for weight machines. The founders, Braxton, MT Strickland, and Ecleamus, walked onto the Shark Tank stage hoping to spark a new era in gym tech. So, how has their journey unfolded since that night? Let’s break down what’s happened since the cameras stopped rolling.
What Is Metric Mate, and Who Created It?
Metric Mate is a small sensor that attaches to strength training machines and logs your workout stats automatically. So, you do your bench presses or lat pulldowns; the TAP sensor quietly tracks the number of reps, sets, and even your form. Unlike just jotting numbers on your phone, it gives you customized feedback and builds a record of your progress.
The founders – Braxton, MT Strickland, and Ecleamus – all come from tech and engineering backgrounds. They wanted to bridge the gap between high-level fitness tracking and regular gym life. They didn’t build a new exercise machine; they built a tool for trainers and gym owners who wanted better data on how their clients train.
Metric Mate’s Shark Tank Pitch: The Ask and the Demonstration
When Metric Mate appeared on Shark Tank, their pitch was straight to the point: they asked for $100,000 in exchange for 5% of their company. This meant they valued Metric Mate at around $2 million. The demonstration wasn’t just talk – even Mark Cuban strapped into a weight machine to try it out, letting viewers see how it worked in real-time.
The device synced with their app and even provided audio-guided workouts (think of a trainer in your headphones). Instead of selling direct to consumers at first, the founders explained that expensive government testing made that route tough. So, they started by partnering with personal trainers who could use the device with their clients.
What the Sharks Thought: Concerns and Critiques
The Sharks saw promise in the TAP sensor, but there were lots of questions. Mark Cuban dropped out, saying he didn’t think their approach to analyzing gym data was solid enough to stand out. Lori Greiner liked the product but thought its complexity made it hard to sell to regular gym-goers.
Barbara Corcoran and guest Shark Tony Xu both said it simply felt too early to tell if customers would really adopt Metric Mate. Kevin O’Leary was the only one to make an offer: $100,000, but he wanted 25% – a big jump from the requested 5%.
Negotiation on the Tank: Why They Walked Away
The founders didn’t jump at O’Leary’s offer. They countered with $100,000 for 12.5% equity, plus a $150,000 line of credit, hoping that would land somewhere in the middle. O’Leary wasn’t interested in budging.
So, with a bit of back-and-forth and advice from Cuban to just take the money, Metric Mate’s team ultimately turned down the deal and left the Tank without an investment. From their point of view, giving up a quarter of the company was too much.
“Shark Tank Effect”: The Quick Buzz and Immediate Challenges
Even without a deal, Metric Mate picked up a wave of attention after the episode aired. MT Strickland called it the “Shark Tank effect” – suddenly, there were more website visits, pre-orders, and even interest from investors who had watched the show.
Awareness was up, but so were the company’s challenges. They struggled to keep up with increased demand. Production had to speed up practically overnight, but it wasn’t that simple. Sourcing parts, managing inventory, and keeping promise dates all proved tougher than they expected.
Fundraising: Crowdfunding Hits a Wall
Realizing they would need more cash to ramp up production, the team launched an Indiegogo campaign. Setting a $100,000 goal, they hoped early fans would help them scale faster. But enthusiasm didn’t translate into dollars. According to different sources, the Indiegogo drive only raised either $1,161 from 10 backers or $1,915 from 16 backers – not remotely close to what they needed.
It’s a familiar story for a lot of startup gadgets: people are interested in a cool new product when they see it on TV but aren’t always ready to commit when it’s time to pre-order.
Inventory Woes: Keeping Up With Real Demand
Metric Mate’s initial rush of orders brought new problems in 2023. By August, the TAP sensors were sold out, and the company had to start taking backorders. Email updates explained delays, but the team was transparent with customers about the time it would take to get shipments back on track.
If you’ve ever bought into a crowdfunded product, you know how this goes. A young company finds it tough to predict demand, and suddenly, filling orders is a lot more challenging than building prototypes.
Current Status: Is Metric Mate Still Around?
By September 2024, things looked steadier for Metric Mate. Their official website was active again, with details about the TAP Sensor and how to buy it. According to updates, the product officially launched on Amazon in March 2024. So, customers who wanted a sensor didn’t have to wait for a crowdfunding round or hope for an invitation-only release.
The Metric Mate app is free and still available for iOS and Android, with mostly good reviews. A quick look at the App Store and Google Play shows people are happy with its core features. You can log in, track workouts, and actually see progress without navigating menus or overly technical dashboards.
Online, the team hasn’t pulled back from public events, either. In late 2023, they joined the National Black MBA Association’s Scale-Up Pitch Challenge and had a spot on the 85 South Show’s Black Market segment. These appearances kept them in front of both investors and fitness fans, showing the product in real use, not just hyped up on social media.
For anyone looking to keep tabs on other entrepreneurial stories, sites like Aureo Business often offer insights and updates about Shark Tank companies and similar startups.
Valuation and Founders’ Perspective: Has The Number Changed?
Even with shaky production and a slow fundraising start, the reported valuation for Metric Mate hasn’t really budged from the original $2 million. Some trackers put the figure at about that mark heading into 2025.
That might feel optimistic, given how long it’s taken to fill orders and launch at scale. But the company’s approach – staying transparent with pre-order customers, showing up at events, and sticking to their software – has helped them build trust. That counts for a lot in a market where so many products vanish after launch.
The founders haven’t radically changed the business model, either. They’re still reaching out to trainers, small gyms, and individual lifters who want more data about their workouts. The plan is to eventually go broader—selling direct to big-box gyms or, if government testing costs drop, direct to everyday consumers.
The Big Takeaways for Metric Mate
Looking back, Metric Mate’s story is familiar but not disappointing. Turning down a Shark Tank deal wasn’t the end for them, just an early roadblock. They dealt with order delays, tough fundraising, and even customer complaints about stock shortages, but the founders stuck with it.
Turning TV buzz into a real, sustainable business always takes more than a viral moment. By mid-2025, Metric Mate has a product you can actually buy, an active user base, and a team that’s been remarkably open about the hurdles they’ve faced.
There’s no wild twist here, just a hardworking startup still figuring things out. For everyday gym fans, trainers, and the kind of person who tracks everything at the gym, Metric Mate might finally be an option worth trying. And for people interested in startup journeys, their story is a solid reminder that “Shark Tank effect” helps – but following through is what really matters.
