Whatever Happened To Kanga From Shark Tank?

The Kanga Coolers brand was created to solve a simple but frustrating problem faced by college students, partygoers, sports fans, campers, and anyone who enjoys social drinking. Keeping your case of beer cold is easy in a standard cooler, but you also have to lug it around and worry about the ice melting. That led them to the question: How do you keep beverages cold without relying on ice? Kanga Coolers has entered the chat. 

The concept was born in a college classroom at Clemson University, where three students — Logan LaMance, Austin Maxwell, and Teddy Giard — teamed up for an entrepreneurship project. The assignment was to develop a lightweight way to keep a full case of drinks cold with no other elements than the case itself. The team quickly developed a prototype: a soft-sided, zippered cooler that could slide over an entire case of cold beer or soda. Dubbed the "Kase Mate," it acted like a giant koozie, using layered insulation to maintain temperature. The product immediately stood out thanks to its utility, portability, and fun branding, and the trio decided to form a business.

Campus marketing created grassroots momentum that led to a Kickstarter campaign, which in turn landed them on "Shark Tank." The brand's high level of energy and the practicality of the product resonated with the Sharks, and the founders walked away with a deal from Mark Cuban. Today, Kanga is a growing business with a devoted customer base, a distinct personality, and a mission to rethink how people keep their perfect Monday-night brew cold. What started as a classroom concept has evolved into a competitive player in the outdoor lifestyle market.

Kanga Coolers appeared on Season 10, Episode 18 of "Shark Tank" in 2019. Founders Logan, Austin, and Teddy pitched the Kase Mate as "the first iceless cooler designed to fit around an entire case of beer or soda." One of their selling points was that the lightweight sleeve insulates drinks for up to seven hours without ice. The pitch was lighthearted — Teddy wore a kangaroo onesie and did a backflip on stage — and the product featured clear branding.

What was clear from the pitch was that the product offered a solution that people didn't even know they needed: a item that allowed you to expertly pack a cooler that also eliminated its weight, bulk, and fumbling for loose cans. The founders valued their company at $1 million and  asked for $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity. They shared that Kanga had made approximately $103,000 in sales in just its first six months and brought in an additional $34,000 through a successful Kickstarter campaign. Additionally, they had a test order in place with Anheuser-Busch, which signaled big retail potential.

Sharks Kevin O'Leary and Daymond John opted out early over concern for the market potential; Lori Greiner liked the product but also passed. However, Mark Cuban saw promise in the team, and offered them $100,000 for 20% equity, but added that he needed an immediate yes or no. The founders accepted and were officially on their way to getting Kanga Coolers off the ground. 

After their appearance on "Shark Tank," the Kanga Coolers founders capitalized on the exposure to expand their product line and increase their market presence. The company introduced new products such as the BrewBox, Pouch coolers, and the Pickleball Cooler that appealed to various customer needs and preferences. It also offered accessories like the Beer Block, an extended-release ice pack that enhances cooling performance.

Kanga was also able to broaden its reach by establishing partnerships with major brands. Most notably, it collaborated with Anheuser-Busch to produce branded Kase Mates for its various beers, including Bud Light and Michelob Ultra.  Kanga's visibility and popularity also received a huge boost in 2024 when the company won a Shopify social media contest that landed its products in a video by YouTube influencer MrBeast.

Kanga Coolers currently operates from its dedicated facility, "The Fun Factory," and employs over 40 individuals. Through strategic product development, partnerships, and marketing initiatives, Kanga Coolers has successfully transitioned from a creative college project to a thriving business in the competitive beverage cooling market.

Kanga Coolers continues to ship its popular iced-free coolers through its Shopify-powered store and various retailers. The company currently ships to all 50 United States, including military APO/FPO addresses, and also offers direct shipping to Canada via its dedicated Canadian storefront. However, it does not provide international shipping to other countries through its main U.S. website. Customers outside North America need to use third-party resellers or freight forwarding services to receive products abroad.

As Kanga continues to find ways to connect with customers by posting reviews, videos, and photos through its social media accounts, it's also leaned hard into additional partnerships. In 2024, Kanga teamed up with Pabst Brewing Company to design custom coolers, which it described as one of its "best performing collaborations to date" in a social media post on LinkedIn. This showed Kanga wasn't just riding the wave without putting in any work to keep the product fresh, consistent, and a cut above the competition. It's deepening brand connections and doubling down on partnerships that expand its reach and engagement with dedicated communities. 

So, in short, yes, Kanga is very much alive, and evolving.

The future continues to look bright for Kanga Coolers through new partnerships with major brands like Mountain Dew, which resulted in an exclusive Baja Blast cooler/soda bundle for Walmart's Cyber Monday campaign. Facebook posts teased the collab with vivid graphics and a Q4 release, adding another notch to Kanga's retail belt.

It's also breaking new ground. A recent LinkedIn post from co-founder Austin Maxwell announced "Drink & Draw" design sessions, where creative ideas flow over one to two beers. He hinted that 15+ new products and accessories are in development, and that at least seven of them are heading to market in 2025–2026.  

On top of that, Kanga has moved into lifestyles beverage spaces: It co-hosted a beer launch with New Realm Brewing Company, and its "Kanga Brew" ranked No. 52 on Beer Connoisseur's top 100 beers of 2024. All of these actions underscore that Logan, Austin, and Teddy have created a business empire from the idea that there's a right way to use a cooler.

Mark Cuban did well to take a chance on Kanga. The business is scaling intelligently, leaning into product innovation, brand mergers, and other forms of marketing. If its past momentum is any indicator, it's undoubtedly gearing up to shake things up again soon.