Whatever Happened To BenjiLock After Shark Tank?

BenjiLock promises to be the first of its kind, but is that enough to get a one-of-a-kind "Shark Tank" deal? Created by entrepreneur Robbie Cabral, the company developed a patented hybrid padlock design that is fingerprint-activated but can also be opened using a traditional key. The device is incredibly powerful, with 30 minutes of charging fueling the padlock for upwards of a year. 

A native of the Dominican Republic, Cabral possessed a background in music and marketing. His life suddenly took a drastic turn when he was let go from his real estate job — on the same day his daughter was born, no less. While his wife supported the family as a teacher, Cabral visited the gym at night when his children went to bed. There, he took notice of the frustrated gym goers who experienced difficulties accessing their lockers or keeping their items safe. An idea sparked in Cabral's mind, and for the next three years, he developed a padlock that would solve these dilemmas with the literal press of a finger. 

In 2017, Cabral brought his innovation to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where it received overwhelmingly positive attention and even won the prestigious CES Innovation Award. The event also presented another major opportunity — a casting call for "Shark Tank." Encouraged by family and friends, Cabral took the leap and applied, eventually landing on Season 9 of the long-running ABC series.

Robbie Cabral's "Shark Tank" segment sees the entrepreneur looking for an investment of $200,000 for a 10% equity stake in BenjiLock. The sharks not only like the product but are equally impressed by Cabral's CES award and acquired patent. 

Kevin O'Leary is interested in the licensing potential and asks Cabral if he received any inquiries while at CES. Cabral explains that he has one deal currently in the works. Sam's Club has also expressed interest in 30,000 units for the start of the 2018 fiscal year. At the moment, BenjiLock is still in the prototype stage, but a survey from over 1,000 individuals revealed that most would be willing to pay at least $60 for the product, which he can produce for $20. The sharks are additionally moved by Cabral's story and sacrifice, learning that he's put $87,000 of his own money into the venture. 

The first offer is made by Kevin O'Leary, who proposes $200,000 at 15%, believing he can get Cabral a sweet licensing deal. Lori Greiner makes the same offer, disagreeing with O'Leary's vision for the company. Barbara Corcoran and guest shark Alex Rodriguez offer to go in together at a 20% stake. Cabral has a difficult time choosing between the lucrative offers but eventually goes with his heart and picks O'Leary, noting his licensing abilities as an asset. 

On BenjiLock's "Shark Tank" segment, Kevin O'Leary pitches himself as "a beast on licensing deals" while Robbie Cabral weighs his options. It didn't take long after the episode for Mr. Wonderful to come through on this proclamation. 

In the month following the episode's initial airing in October 2017, O'Leary and Cabral appeared on CNBC's "Halftime Report," where they announced a licensing deal made with the leading home security hardware developer Hampton Products International, which also owns the North American rights to the product. Hampton CEO Kim Kelley also appeared to hand Cabral an advanced royalty check for $100,000, which brought the entrepreneur to tears once again. "You know that we believe in the fact that teamwork makes the dream work," Kelly said to Cabral on CNBC. "And the 'Shark Tank' episode and Kevin's investment in your dream was the missing link for us and we're really excited. We're going to make this work." 

Cabral, O'Leary, and Kelly appeared at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, where they debuted a compact version of the product: the BenjiLock Mini. It won the company its second CES Innovation Award. Additionally, as covered in an update segment from later in "Shark Tank" Season 9, the event would see a representative from Ace Hardware place a $1.5 million order to start selling BenjiLock at their stores.  

BenjiLock carries a wide selection of items, showcasing the company's never-ending hunger for innovation. Along with its flagship padlock product, the team has created locks for bikes, luggage, cabinets, and even doors, all imbued with its patented fingerprint recognition technology. Along with being available on Hampton Products' website and Amazon, its line of products has also become more readily available at retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart.

Founder Robbie Cabral claims that Kevin O'Leary is still working actively with BenjiLock to expand its global licensing potential. That's paid off, as deals have been announced for brands such as TKL Cases, 1st Place Japan, and Fingerprint Cards AB, likely spanning from BenjiLock's time at the 2023 Las Vegas Licensing Expo.

Cabral and his creations have received numerous accolades, including a third CES Innovation Award in 2020 for the company's door lock technology and two 2022 New York Product Design Awards. BenjiLock's products have been included in outlets such as BuzzFeed and Today, where they are highly recommended for travelers. As of this writing, BenjiLock's annual sales are at $4.5 million, and the company is worth $5 million. 

Robbie Cabral more than proved himself in and out of "Shark Tank." BenjiLock has been recognized as an industry game-changer, and as with any innovator, Cabral is not satisfied with staying in the same ballpark. The primary reason he chose Kevin O'Leary as an investor, as explained on "Shark Tank," was spending more time creating, as O'Leary handled much of the company's licensing.

Speaking recently with the Consumer Technology Association about BenjiLock's future endeavors, Cabral shared the developments that are to come thanks to their licensing deals. In particular, he's excited about BenjiLock's collaboration with guitar case manufacturer TKL Cases, stating that the team plans to imbue their biometric technology into the cases and hopes to debut the results at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show. 

Additionally, he sees new avenues for BenjiLock's developments, especially as technology advances and concerns for personal security become more prevalent. "But as of right now, we see that the technology beyond the biometric, we're going to be able to apply it to facial recognition, voice recognition, the whole future of AI as well," Cabral shared. "We're always looking into that. So I think it's going to be exciting." Cabral and company remain ahead of the game, and these advances will ensure a bright future for BenjiLock.