We all love to look after our lawns and give our homes a fresh look. But unfortunately, we either have no time for that and look for someone else to do it for us or we use a gas mover to get the work done quickly without considering its devasting effect on the environment.
Justin Crandall and Bart Lomont, the co-owners of Robin, have the perfect solution for us. Their product is the world’s first robotic lawn mower that operates on batteries and saves the planet from pollution equivalent to 11 motor cars.
Moreover, the clippings from the grass then are put back in the grass to act as a natural fertilizer. The product takes messages from the lines that already fit in the lawn to get an idea of the area to be mowed.
The owners came on Shark Tank to request $500K for 5% of their company. They also brought their cute robot with them to highlight its functioning. Let’s explore their journey on the show.
Robin Lawn Care Net Worth Shark Tank Update
Justin Crandall and Bart Lomont were seeking a $500,000 investment for a 5% equity stake in their company, Robin. This meant they valued their company at $10 million at the time of the show. Despite not securing a deal on Shark Tank, the company continued to thrive, eventually rebranding to MowBot and generating over $7.3 million in annual revenue. After the show aired, Robin saw a big increase in exposure and business opportunities. As per my rough estimate, the current net worth of MowBot in 2024 is around $9 million.
Shark(s) name
Offer & Demand
Counteroffer
Accepted?
Kevin O’Leary
Out
N\A
N\A
Mark Cuban
Out
N\A
N\A
Robert Herjavec
Out
N\A
N\A
Richard Branson
Out
N\A
N\A
John Daymond
Out
N\A
N\A
The Owner’s Backstory
Bart grew up on a farm in Indiana and was into agricultural studies. He also served in the military as he wanted to do something for his nation. He was an operational and logistic officer in the service.
Justin is from a teaching background but he has done an MBA from Harvard. He then got into sales and helped a company to make $15M in revenue. He then met Bart through a common friend and decided to work on a lawn care idea.
They started the Robin Company two years back to work as an uber like lawn care business where they were making $400K a month in sales. Now, they are much developed with a robotic lawn mower.
Their product is an easier and cheaper way to keep lawns healthy and fresh. Additionally, the product is also environmentally free as it uses a battery to operate, unlike the gas mowers.
Initial Pitch
The owners came on the show to seek $500K for a 5% equity stake. They also demonstrated how their product works on a lawn in front of the judges to monitor. The product is an amalgamation of proven Bio-technology from Europe and human abilities to ensure an environmentally healthy product foundation.
Queries about the Product
Herjavec asked the first question regarding the robot’s charging mechanism. Justin answered that every robot has a charging space fixated in a corner, where after they are done with their work, they head back.
Herjavec then wanted to confirm that they have not launched the product but basically have introduced the European technology in the U.S. To this, the owners replied in an affirmative.
Lori then asked if the product is a service in Europe or if an individual handles the product. They answered that it first ever robotic launch service, so it could be handled individually.
She also inquired about its pricing. Bart replied that it costs around $1800 to $1900. They are charging basically $17 a week for lawn care, which is cheaper than the traditional system.
Basically, they are offering three plans; $17 for just mowing, $25 for regular edging and trimming, and $37 a week for the whole package including weeding.
After hearing the plan, Cuban asked if they were automated too. Bart made it clear that the edging and other parts are still carried out by their crews.
Daymond then inquired about their annual sales. The owner pointed out that they have reached $5M in their revenues with 10K jobs a month.
Cuban then wanted to know the cost of the service per customer. Bart highlighted that they had made an agreement with the manufacturers where they don’t have to pay them directly. They charge the customer and still don’t pay a single buck to the manufacturers for the first month. However, they have to pay afterward $45 every month.
Lori then was curious to know about the manufacturer’s incentives behind launching the product in the U.S. through them. Bart answered that they love to sell the product to Americans but they don’t want to hire the landscapers as they won’t discount them for the extra crew’s work in the lawn care.
Herjavec asked about the amount of money they had made so far. Justin answered that they had made over $3M. They have 10 full-time team members and 80 members on contract.
The shark also asked about their last year’s sale. It was about $3M and they have lost over $1M.
Cuban asked regarding their monthly burn rates. Justin replied that it is about $100K a month.
Shark’s Response and Final Decision
Lori was the first shark out as she believed that it should be a business for a product rather than a service.
Cuban followed Lori as he considers the product to be on the initial level of the scale and it has a lot more to do.
The guest shark, Richard Branson, considered the valuation to be too high for him to invest in.
Herjavec also dropped out of the deal as he does not consider their business to grow on heights.
Finally, Daymond also backed out, leaving the Robins with no deal from the sharks.
Product’s Availability
Since appearing on the show, the company has made successful business in the U.S. Initially the business was acquired by The Fahey Group in Ohio. In Sept 2020, Robin updated their robot to provide lawn care services in tight spaces.
Then they introduced a subscription business model after getting into a partnership with TurfBot Mowing, a lawn care franchise.
By the end of 2020, they hired 40 landscaping companies and in 2021, they shifted into 150 mid-market landscapers and installed 1,000 residential units.
In August 2022, they changed their brand name to MowBot and has grown to over $7.3 million in annual revenue.
Conclusion
Despite not securing any deal with the sharks on Shark Tank, the company still thrived and reached to over $7.3 million in annual revenue. Although they moved into several agreements afterwards they still made a brand name MowBot and made an impression on the lawn mower market.
Hey there, it’s Andaleb Youns. I am a freelance content writer and am currently pursuing a BS in English Language and Literature. I have expertise in writing Blog Posts, social media content, and copywriting. I know how it feels to be a student and still be dependent on parents to fulfill even basic daily needs. This realization became apparent while watching Shark Tank. Although I started watching this show out of boredom, it proved to be an inspirational show. The show made me realize the importance of hard work, being independent, and of having a business of my own. I still look forward to it for entertaining and inspirational content.
