Whatever Happened To Peanut Butter Pump After Shark Tank?

"Shark Tank" entrepreneurs are usually pretty good at getting themselves out of sticky situations, but what happens when the product they're being pitched involves trying to avoid one of life's gummiest substances — peanut butter? Andy Scherer appeared on the program to plug the Peanut Butter Pump during Episode 7 of Season 11. Intended to help spread the mashed legumes on crackers and bread more easily, the invention also helps keep kitchens allergy-safe, lets kids serve themselves, and aids those with motor and mobility issues. Visually and in action, it's easily comparable to those oversized ketchup pumps you see at hot dog and hamburger stands around the world.

Before he hit the Tank, Andy Scherer worked as the vice president of funds transfer for California Commerce Bank, then in two different positions for the Associated Foreign Exchange, per his LinkedIn page. When he was let go in 2016, he was encouraged to create the Peanut Butter Pump, realizing the messy, inefficient scrape-and-spread delivery system of old wasn't cutting it. Thinking he had a winning idea, he launched a successful IndieGoGo campaign to make it a reality. His pre-"Shark Tank" buzz grew after getting attention from Good Morning America in February 2019. "If the Keebler Elves could do it, I could too," Scherer told the morning program.

But there are dozens of Keebler Elves and only one of Scherer. He knew he needed the extra financial push from the Sharks to make his product a success. Or did he? Here's how Scherer managed to get his nutty idea more publicity through "Shark Tank."

During his appearance, Andy Scherer tells the sharks he's looking to the show's entrepreneurs to help him cover distribution costs. He wants $200,000 for a 15% chunk of the business. He shows off a variety of nozzles for the device, each fulfilling a basic peanut butter-related task. He explains the device also fits over the lids of most standard brands. The package drew enough eyeballs that by the time of the episode's taping, Scherer's IndieGoGo campaign had made over $129,000 in pledges.

After a brief demonstration — in which he shares that each pump of the nozzle distributes 3 teaspoons' worth of peanut butter — the Sharks question the bulkiness of Scherer's creation. Kevin O'Leary, a self-professed peanut butter lover (who asks Scherer if chunky peanut butter is more likely to clog the device's head), notes the oversized dispenser couldn't fit in the refrigerator, making it useless for other, more perishable condiments and those who like to keep their peanut butter cool. Upon learning each pump costs $27, the Sharks are stunned, feeling that's a little pricey for a kitchen gadget. They're also not impressed when Scherer admits to withdrawing some of his IndieGoGo proceeds and missing his first announced delivery date.

This, Scherer's valuation for the company, and the fact the Sharks don't feel he has successfully reinvented the peanut butter distribution wheel, has them dropping out. Though Sherer vows to sell his house if he needs to in order to make the Peanut Butter Pump a success, he leaves the show without a deal.

Appearing on "Shark Tank" positively impacted the Peanut Butter Pump; it increased the robustness of the product's IndieGoGo. The campaign eventually topped out at over $166,000 when Scherer closed preorders. He also offered an InDemand style pump and additional nozzle tops as add-ons.

But, for Peanut Butter Pump lovers, the waiting game for fulfillment has been long. As of October, the product has not been delivered to backers, though Andy Scherer has indicated the pumps will arrive on their doorsteps by December. A series of supply chain problems hit the funding campaign hard. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, further stymying production. An extended testing process subsequently set in, and much of 2022 was spent adjusting the pump's design as various parts refused to work properly. 

In January, Scherer landed a partner for the business. In April, he explained they went back to the drawing board with the invention, redesigning it and working those previously-mentioned kinks out. While announcing in September that the pumps would finally be heading to customers' mailboxes, he explained the cost of each Peanut Butter Pump would be increased to $38 for a single pump or $68 for two.

While the Nutty Inventor's official website hasn't been updated since the Peanut Butter Pump's pre-order sold out, Andy Scherer continues to post about the company's future in the update section of their IndieGoGo page. Scherer explained in a September update he thinks the Peanut Butter Pump's public rollout will look like the method the Keurig Cup used when it first hit the marketplace. He's planning on distributing the pump online at first, then through in-house distribution to places like hotels and businesses. "If I am fortunate, some of those distributors may be able to offer them to the public," he said. That indicates the company's still alive and that he has ideas for what's next.

Still, Peanut Butter Pump's social media remains stagnant. Its YouTube channel hasn't had a new post since 2019, its Instagram was last updated in 2019, and its Facebook page hasn't had a new status since 2020. Perhaps this will change in December when the pumps are slated to be mailed out.

With the first wave of Peanut Butter Pumps set to roll out, Andy Scherer intends to continue planting his business profile in a peanut-centric world. His latest IndieGoGo update indicates he plans to run a website where consumers can get extra bags of peanut butter for their pumps so that the invention remains useful when the well runs dry. He's eventually planning on selling multiple brands of bagged peanut butter for the pumps once the first wave of gadgets is out. On top of that, Scherer has indicated he has a peanut butter cookbook in the works and has shared a sample recipe with his IndieGoGo supporters in the update section. He's also planning on distributing a peanut butter stirring device, which sold out at pre-orders: the NutterNado.

Who knows — maybe Scherer's dream will come true, and someday, Peanut Butter Pumps will get into stores nationwide. Unlike some "Shark Tank" businesses that don't exist anymore, Scherer seems to have the tenacity to keep things going. In any event, it looks like there's a light at the end of the tunnel for Peanut Butter Pump fans. With any luck, it and the NutterNado will soon see the light of day — and that's more than you can say for many entrepreneurs who have pitched their wares on "Shark Tank."