The Tenikle Tripod

Hans Dose got the inspiration for the Tenikle Tripod from two things: a busted phone and an octopus. His phone broke on some rocks while trying to balance it for a photo. On the way home, he looked at his cumbersome, suction cup mounted phone holder in his car and he thought of an octopus. The Tenikle Tripod looks like a three-limbed octopus, suction cups and all.

You can use it as a tripod, a selfie stick or on anything a suction cup will mount to. It’s like having an extra pair of hands. He made dozens of 3D printed prototypes before coming up with a workable model he liked. The crowdfunding community likes it too. Hans raised over $225,000 on Kickstarter and IndieGoGo back in 2017. After several redesigns and Covid-19 related shipping issues, he finally delivered finished products two years after funding.

The product itself is fairly simple. It’s a bendable tripod with suction cups on it. It has a screw hole to mount a Go Pro or similar camera. The newest version, the Tenikle 360, has a removable fourth arm with a phone holder attachment. The Tenikle 2.0 costs $35. The Tenikle 360 has more suction power and is 3 times more rigid than the 2.0. It costs $45. Hans likely wants a Shark’s help with manufacturing and inventory. Will a Shark invest in this tripod?

My Take on the Tenikle Tripod

I have three tripods. A large traditional one, a table top traditional one and something similar to the Tenikle, minus the suction cups. I think the suction cups are what makes it special. The one I have that’s similar to the Tenikle is handy. It can wrap around things to secure the camera, but it can’t use suction.

What I really like about this company is Hans and his wife run it from their RV while traveling the countryside. How cool is that? It looks as if they use their Tenikle Tripod a lot in their travels based on their social media. I’d LOVE to live that lifestyle! I am in.

Do Sharks Swim with this Octopus?

This has one objection going for it: “it’s a product, not a company.” Good sales numbers can outweigh that objection however. If their numbers are good, they could entertain some offers. Daymond, if he makes an offer, would probably want to license it. I don’t think Mark offers because it’s not a big enough business.

Mr. Wonderful could put up one of his royalty offers if customer acquisition costs and sales line up. Likewise for Robert. I think Lori would be the best Shark for this as she could blow it up and get it everywhere. If she thinks it’s a hero and it would sell, she’ll make an offer.

Rob Merlino

Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.