This week, co-host Deanne Bell meets with Ryan Craven, the inventor of Mr. Hoverboard. Citing the engineering issues that came with electric hoverboards, Craven hopes to improve upon the wheel-free hoverboard design. Bell puts it to the test, but sees the immediate issue in sustainability.
Mr. Hoverboard is a wheel-free hoverboard that will finally allow you to truly live out all of your “Back to the Future” dreams. The device utilizes “common hovercraft technology and modern day ingenuity, riders are able to glide frictionlessly over smooth surfaces such as concrete, wood, and flooring,” according to their website. According to their campaign site, the hoverboard uses two hover discs, a vinyl sheet, costs $420—blowers to power the hoverboard not included. “Simply push off with your rear foot to gather speed, then lift your foot onto the board” and voila, you’ve got a Marty McFly-approved, wheel-free hoverboard.
Bell like Craven’s enthusiasm but worries if it doesn’t get to market soon, there will be too much competition. She also sees nothing protectable about the design and hopes to focus mainly on marketing.
Bell then takes the Mr. Hoverboard device to the engineering team at Bluefish Concepts, making a grand entrance (then falling) on the hoverboard. She hopes to give the device more power, without having to weigh it down more with motors and batteries. Craven likes the redesign, saying it would be fit for a stormtrooper. The fans are now powered with motors, which will yield a more sustainable ride.
At the field test, Bell and Craven take the device to a skate park so that kids can test it out. Once they get the hang of it, they explain that they like the “futuristic” design, sans wheels, and would definitely use it.
For the pitch, Craven has the opportunity to meet with two investors: Shaun Neff and Jesse Draper—both of whom offer connections and tons of value. He hopes to get an investment of $500,000 for 20 percent equity.
Draper sees an amusement park opportunity by using it as a live air hockey puck, but they both worry that there’s no patent on the product and that he doesn’t own the technology. Neff likes its uniqueness but would need to ensure that some sort of ownership could be taken. Neff and Draper don’t believe it’s far enough along, given Craven’s lack of ownership and decide not to make any offers.
“Make Me A Millionaire Inventor” works to turn a million dollar idea to a million dollar invention. Hosts and engineering experts George Zaidan and Deanne Bell find entrepreneurs with revolutionary ideas, take a look at their prototype and help take the product to the next level. According to CNBC, “Top engineers scour the country looking for amazing ideas they’re convinced can make big money. They’ll track down the inventors and give them a second chance to bring their ideas and dreams to life.” The hosts also have the opportunity to hear their pitch before taking the product to an investor, as well as connect with the inventor by hearing their backstories.
“Make Me A Millionaire Inventor” airs every Thursday night at 10 p.m. on CNBC.
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