Whatever Happened To The Peanut Butter Pump From Shark Tank?

It's often said that inventions are born out of necessity. We've all experienced the frustration of attempting to use a knife to remove every last morsel of the best peanut butter money can buy from a jar, only to be left disheartened by how much of that precious spread remains. The jar always seems to win that battle, but years ago, Andy Scherer thought he had discovered the secret weapon every peanut butter lover needs to gain the advantage. 

Instead of scaping away with a rigid utensil, Scherer's solution was simple at its core: use a device that dispenses the peanut butter while simultaneously cleaning the insides of the jar. A rudimentary pump affixed to the top of one's peanut butter jar with a plunger-type contraption that fits inside essentially sucks out every remaining bit of the creamy spread, sparing folks the humiliation of losing another battle with an inanimate object. Keeping in line with the uncomplicated nature of his invention, he simply dubbed the device the Peanut Butter Pump. 

However, to get his brainchild into the hands of the masses, Scherer needed funding. An initial investment had been secured through crowdfunding, but he needed more to get the units built (and some expert guidance into the world of entrepreneurship wouldn't hurt either). He turned to the venture capitalists on ABC's "Shark Tank." Scherer appeared on Season 11, Episode 7 of "Shark Tank" ready to change the world. In fact, that was part of his initial pitch. He claimed he wanted to revolutionize the way people enjoyed their favorite spread, and he asked the sharks for an investment of $200,000 in return for 15% of his fledgling company.

After Scherer's spirited pitch, Kevin O'Leary was clearly interested in the invention as a self-proclaimed "peanut butter connoisseur" (via YouTube) and had plenty of questions about the product he was seeing. Things seemed to be going smoothly until Scherer revealed that what he was showing the venture capitalists was only a prototype, and he had yet to make any sales. He explained that he had pre-orders via his crowdfunding campaign, but the sharks were unimpressed. That's when things started to go south.

Obviously unconvinced there was a need for a peanut butter pump in the first place, Daymond John asked Scherer, "What's the problem it is actually solving?" As he tried to explain, John couldn't contain his skepticism, laughing out loud before claiming he wasn't interested. Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec followed suit along the same line of thinking that the product was unnecessary and somewhat ridiculous.

Upon closer inspection, O'Leary wasn't excited about the company's valuation and decided to withdraw from the negotiations. Cuban acknowledged that the sharks were having a bit of fun at Scherer's expense and gave him kudos for taking it on the chin. However, he stated that the business wasn't a good fit for him, meaning the last potential investor was out of the equation. Similar to the founders of Nutr when they appeared on "Shark Tank," Scherer walked away from the tank empty-handed.

While nobody on "Shark Tank" was interested in putting funds toward the realization of the Peanut Butter Pump, Andy Scherer was undeterred. Months prior to his appearance in the tank, he had secured funding to the tune of over $117,000 through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and had already embarked on the manufacturing side of the business. After appearing on the show, more people than ever were excited to see his product come to life. His creation was being featured in various forms of media, often with folks praising the idea of pumping peanut butter out of a jar.

But problems centered around the design of the Peanut Butter Pump continued to plague Scherer. Setbacks at the Chinese factory in charge of manufacturing delayed distribution dates repeatedly, and the sample products it sent to him consistently had flaws that needed to be addressed. Folks who had invested in his dream through crowdfunding began to get skittish, despite Scherer being fully transparent about the issues that were causing problems via monthly updates on his progress. Through all the stumbling blocks, he remained determined to push forward, though pushing turned into pivoting before long.

As it became clear that Andy Scherer's design was just not going to cut it, he abandoned the Peanut Butter Pump concept. Yet, he wasn't done trying to improve the way folks consumed their favorite spread. Scherer scrapped the Peanut Butter Pump as his initial investors had known it and, in 2023, conceived Version 2 — a device that worked much like the ketchup and mustard dispensers in fast-food restaurants.

Scherer's new approach utilized a bag filled with peanut butter and dispensed it via extrusion rather than suction. Because he knew his crowdfunding investors wanted the freedom to use his first concept with their preferred brand of spread, he initiated talks with major peanut butter manufacturers in an attempt to have them put their product into bags that would fit into the Version 2 unit. It would also be able to dispense various other condiments. However, the same problems that marred the original idea were rearing their ugly heads. Design flaws and factory delays caused Scherer to run out of funds to keep the project going. He promised to search for additional investors and continued giving the existing ones regular updates on his progress.

Scherer's appearance on "Shark Tank" aired in 2019, when the Peanut Butter Pump was still in its prototype phase. Fast forward to 2025, and the inventor was still treading water on faulty Version 2 of the product. The writing was on the wall – in July of 2025, Scherer decided it was time to throw in the towel. His long journey had yielded nothing but headaches and disappointment, and it was time to call it quits.

While Andy Scherer had every intention of following through with his project (even if he had to sell his house and sacrifice his marriage to make it happen), the burden of turning his dream into a reality eventually became too much to bear. Once he announced that he would no longer be involved with the venture, many of the original investors surprisingly offered him their sympathies, thanking him for allowing them to witness his journey through his regular updates on the adventure. Some were obviously upset that their money had disappeared without anything to show for it, yet, if there was any bright side to the whole fiasco, it was that so many people got a glimpse into what it truly takes to turn an idea into a real product.

Because he had previously stated that he was willing to sell his house to make the Peanut Butter Pump successful if need be, Scherer addressed that notion in his final update. Although he was serious in his conviction, his wife had been less than enthused to hear about that idea. Before his appearance on "Shark Tank" aired, the two divorced, and his house was sold.

Scherer's trek through entrepreneurship was tragic in a sense. Yet, the ambition, determination, and grit he displayed throughout the process are signs of someone with a strong character that will surely pay off in whatever the next chapter of his life brings. As for all that peanut butter that will remain trapped in jars, don't throw it out — make a tasty sauce for noodles instead.