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The travel-focused Trippie app, introduced by entrepreneur Ryan Diew on Shark Tank during season 9, sought to simplify airport navigation for travelers.
Although Diew’s pitch to secure funding ultimately fell short, Shark Tank boosted Trippie's visibility and provided Diew with critical feedback, allowing him to further develop his concept.
Since then, Trippie has grown, extending its offerings to more airports worldwide and gaining an expanded user base, but it still faces challenges and opportunities for additional growth.
Trippie’s journey after Shark Tank
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Although Diew’s Shark Tank pitch failed to secure investment, the national exposure it provided significantly increased interest in the Trippie app.
Following his Shark Tank appearance, Diew made improvements to Trippie, expanding its offerings to 22 airports, primarily in the U.S., which account for about 82% of airport traffic.
Trippie’s growth was temporarily slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it remains operational with enhanced features, including interactive airport maps showing restaurants, coffee shops, and other amenities.
Diew has continued to oversee Trippie’s progress, and his efforts to expand the app’s services show his commitment to making Trippie a valuable tool for travelers.
His long-term vision includes evolving Trippie’s features to support indoor navigation and potentially broaden its reach by launching an Android-compatible version to increase its user base beyond Apple’s App Store.
The concept and initial pitch on Shark Tank
Ryan Diew, a former college basketball player, created Trippie to make navigating major airports easier by helping users find dining and other amenities. On the reality fixture, Diew asked for $100,000 in exchange for 10% of his company.
Using a burrito to illustrate his point, he highlighted the app’s function to help travelers quickly locate restaurants in busy airports. However, a mishap with his prop led to a momentary struggle as a piece of food lodged in his throat, slightly disrupting his pitch.
Though Diew’s passion and concept initially caught the Sharks' interest, his pitch ultimately revealed that Trippie was still in the early stages of development, with only four airports on the app and approximately 170 subscribers.
This limited scope, combined with Diew’s inexperience in developing the app, led the panel to decline his investment request.
While the Sharks appreciated his ambition, they felt it was premature to invest, with Mark Cuban and other panelists offering constructive feedback to help Diew focus on improving Trippie.
How Shark Tank boosted Trippie’s potential
Despite exiting from the show without funding, Diew’s experience was transformative for both him and Trippie. His exposure on the show generated increased visibility for the app, which attracted new users and interest from media outlets.
Diew’s efforts to expand Trippie led to an increase in airports served and improved app features, such as interactive maps, making it more functional for travelers.
In an interview with Business 2 Community on October 13, 2024, Diew expressed his determination to continue evolving the app and exploring features to make Trippie more comprehensive for travelers.
He highlighted the importance of indoor navigation for future airport experiences, noting that expanding Trippie to Android could significantly boost its reach and usability.
Diew’s path after the show
While Diew remains dedicated to Trippie, he has also diversified his professional pursuits. In addition to his role as Trippie’s founder and CEO, Diew is also involved with Base Ventures, a California-based venture capital firm, where he serves as a principal and entrepreneur in residence.
His involvement there aligns with his Shark Tank pitch sentiment, which emphasized not just building a product but fostering innovative thinking.
Diew remains optimistic about the app's potential to become an essential tool for airport travelers worldwide.
The next episode of Shark Tank will be released on November 1.
