MrBeast invests $250,000 in AI-powered Sperry Labs

Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, made his debut as a guest investor on season 18 of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’. During the appearance, he secured a 55% stake in Sperry Labs, a Pennsylvania-based company, for $250,000.

The deal significantly lowered the company's initial valuation; the founders originally sought $200,000 for 10%, implying a $2 million valuation. The final agreement values the company at approximately $455,000.

Sperry Labs produces Ball 2, a foam ball equipped with sensors and Bluetooth that tracks movements such as throws, spins, and bounces via a mobile app. The product features an AI-driven ‘Game Maker’ mode that uses language models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google Gemini to generate game rules based on verbal descriptions. The ball is available in two versions: a $69 version with AI capabilities and a $49 version without AI.