The Hummingbird is one of nature’s most magnificent creatures. If you adore them as much as John and Joan Creed do, you should get the Hummviewer as soon as possible. It’s a mask that lets you witness hummingbirds feeding right in front of you. The founders appeared on the latest episode of Shark Tank and got a deal with Daniel Lubetzky. As of 2023, Hummviewer is worth $215,000.
About the Founders
John and Joan Creed are a married couple who grew up in Colorado. Not much is known about the duo’s family and educational background, but they had similar childhood experiences.
As a child, John and his family always visited their cabin in the town of Westcliffe during the summer. That was where he developed his love for hummingbirds, studying their behaviour, species, and ecosystems.
On the other hand, Joan spent most of her youth touring the highlands of her home state. Most of the homes she resided in had hummingbird feeders, and that is how she gained an interest in them.
Founding the Company
The couple’s shared enthusiasm for hummingbirds moved them to find a way to observe them as closely as possible. John worked for several weeks designing a product that would help him attract the birds easily.
He combined a welding mask, a rubber tube, and fake flowers to make a hummingbird feeding mask. It offered a front-row seat to see up close how these darting birds consume nectar from flowers. They called it the Hummviewer and the first prototype was made in 2017.
They tested it out and found that hummingbirds didn’t mind being near the face of a human while consuming their food. Four years later, the company reached an all-time high in sales.
Getting on Shark Tank
Shortly after discovering their product works, John and Joan Creed tweeted a picture of their feeding mask to the NBC affiliate 9News/NEXT. Reporters from the station called the next day and asked if they were willing to film a segment about their invention.
The husband-and-wife team agreed, and they soon made their television debut. The publicity from local news stations helped them realize they needed to do more to promote the business. They applied to appear on Shark Tank and got accepted to appear on season 14.
Shark Tank Appearance
John and Joan gave up an upbeat presentation and the Sharks were in stitches laughing at the demonstration. The founders have sold around 500 units and made $25,000 in lifetime sales. The majority of the Sharks didn’t view it as an investable business and saw it as more of a hobby.
Daniel Lubetzky was the only one interested as his father loved hummingbirds. The guest Shark got emotional but also believed it could be a big seller due to its novelty. He offered $75,000 for 35% and they happily accepted the deal. Really happy to see them get a deal, they seemed like nice, genuine people but just need help marketing the product.
After Shark Tank
The Hummviewer might look strange at first, but the feeder will appeal to a lot of nature lovers. Getting featured on Shark Tank will be huge for the company and should help them get at least $50,000 in orders even though it’s a niche product.
Those interested in purchasing the unique bird feeder can buy it on Hummviewer.com for $69.95. Unfortunately, there is no other way to buy the product as it might not be suitable for retail stores.
The feeder has four 5-star reviews on their website and one 5-star review on Google. That, along with the company’s valuation is expected to change after the show. Currently, Hummviewer is valued at $215,000.
