VibeRide Shark Tank Update: Mark Cuban Deal & New E-Scooters
The way Americans travel around their cities has changed a lot in recent years. People want fast, fun, and green ways to get to work or school without using a car.
Because of this, electric scooters, e-boards, and safer skateboards are more popular than ever. Right in the middle of this trend is VibeRide, a sporting goods brand that became famous on Season 15 of ABC’s hit show Shark Tank.
At first, VibeRide was just known for solving an old problem in the skating world: how to put brakes on a skateboard. But as of today, VibeRide is much more than a skateboard parts company.
With backing from billionaire Mark Cuban, the company has grown into a major electric scooter and e-board brand.
In this full update, we look at everything you need to know about VibeRide. We will cover their true net worth, what really happened with Mark Cuban, and how their new electric scooters compare to the competition.
What Is VibeRide?
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, VibeRide is a company that makes fun and safe riding gear. Their main goal is to make action sports and city commuting safer for the average person.
VibeRide became famous for the “VibeRide Skate Brake.” For over 60 years, stopping a skateboard meant dragging your shoe on the ground or sliding the board sideways. Both ways take a lot of practice, can lead to bad falls, and quickly ruin your shoes.
VibeRide fixed this by creating a special brake pedal that attaches to the back of a longboard. Riders just step on the pedal to slow down.
Currently, the brand has grown a lot. VibeRide now sells a full line of “everyday e-scooters” and powerful electric skateboards. By teaming up with top manufacturing factories, VibeRide is trying to take on giant scooter brands like Segway.
Who Are the Founders?
VibeRide was started in 2020 by three friends: Charlie Cannon, Carson MacDonald, and Chris Goodhue.
Charlie Cannon is a key player in the company. He is a smart businessman who had already built a $15 million company while he was still in college.
He also started a successful drone company called EXO Drones, which he sold in 2022. He used the money from that sale to help build VibeRide.
The idea for the company came from their own lives. While going to the University of Utah, the founders found it scary to skate down the steep hills around their campus.
They wanted to build a brake, but they found out that an Australian man named Ben Newman had already invented a “Brakeboard” back in 1999. Newman had sold his product for years, but it never became a huge global hit.
In 2021, the VibeRide team bought all the patents and designs from Newman. Charlie Cannon put $1.2 million of his own money into VibeRide, spending $450,000 just to buy those patents.
Over the next two years, the team made the brake 30% simpler, fixed issues with it getting too hot, and released the new VibeRide Skate Brake in 2023.
VibeRide Shark Tank Pitch and Mark Cuban Deal
To get more money and expert help, the founders went on Shark Tank in Season 15, Episode 10. They asked the Sharks for $250,000 and offered 10% of their business in return.
During the show, they showed how the brake worked and gave each Shark a custom board. The Sharks were very impressed when the founders shared their sales numbers.
Even though they had only been taking pre-orders for two months, they had already sold $150,000 worth of products. They told the Sharks they expected to make $600,000 by the end of the year.
Mark Cuban loves young, driven business owners who know how to sell. He quickly made them an offer. Here is exactly how the deal went down:
| Person | Money Offered/Asked | Equity Share | What Happened |
| Founders (Start) | $250,000 | 10% | This was the starting pitch. |
| Mark Cuban | $250,000 | 15% | Mark made a fast offer and wanted an answer. |
| Founders | $350,000 | 15% | The founders asked for more money to give up 15%. |
| Mark Cuban | $250,000 | 12% | Mark lowered his equity ask to 12%. |
| Founders | $265,000 | 12% | The founders tried to get just a little more cash. |
| Mark Cuban | $250,000 | 12% | Mark said no to the $265k and stuck to his offer. |
| Final Deal | $250,000 | 12% | The founders accepted the deal. |
Many deals made on Shark Tank fall apart after the cameras turn off. However, the deal between VibeRide and Mark Cuban officially closed.
As of today, VibeRide is listed as one of the Mark Cuban Companies, and the business is backed by the Mark Cuban Radical Investments fund. This is a big win, especially since Mark Cuban announced he is leaving Shark Tank after Season 16.
Deep Dive: The VibeRide Skate Brake
Even with all their new products, the Skate Brake is still the heart of the company. It is important to know how it works and if it is truly safe.
How Does the Brake Work?
The VibeRide brake is built like a car brake, not like a cheap toy. It is made of a few strong parts:
- The Pedal: Made from tough aluminum, this pedal sits near the back wheels. You step on it just like you would on a push scooter.
- The Base: This replaces the normal metal trucks under the skateboard. It is built to handle hundreds of pounds of force without breaking.
- Pads and Discs: When you step on the pedal, special ceramic brake pads squeeze down on steel discs attached to the wheels. The company uses ceramic because it cools down fast. This stops the wheels from melting or locking up on long hills.
You can buy the brake in two ways. You can buy a “Brake Kit” to put on your own board, or you can buy a full “BrakeBoard.”
Currently, a full BrakeBoard costs $349, though VibeRide often puts them on sale for $279. They come in fun styles like Vintage Valley and Polar Pines. Because of the “Shark Tank Effect,” these boards often sell out.
Is the Skate Brake Actually Safe?
When VibeRide first launched, some of their ads made it seem like the brake was safe for going up to 40 mph down huge mountains. But latest reviews from expert downhill skaters tell a different story.
For most people, the brake is incredibly safe and helpful. If you are a beginner, or a student riding across a flat college campus, the brake is perfect. It gives you an easy way to stop at crosswalks without ruining your shoes.
However, experts warn against using it at extreme speeds. When you ride fast, stepping on the back brake makes you lean backward. Leaning backward at 40 mph can cause “speed wobbles,” where the board shakes violently from side to side.
Also, at very high speeds, the brake takes too long to stop compared to sliding the board sideways. So, while it is great for cruising, it is not meant for extreme mountain racing.
The Big Move: Electric Scooters
The biggest change for VibeRide is their jump into the electric scooter market. They used Mark Cuban’s money and teamed up with a factory called Maxwheel Engineering to build scooters that people can use every day.
VibeRide noticed a big problem with most scooters: they are designed for smaller riders overseas.
VibeRide decided to design their scooters specifically for the American market. They gave their scooters wider standing decks, thicker shocks, and higher weight limits so adults can ride comfortably.
Here is a look at the three electric scooters VibeRide sells:
| Scooter Name | Top Speed | Distance per Charge | Motor Power | Weight Limit | Starting Price |
| Explorer | 20 mph | 15 to 20 miles | 750 Watts | 225 lbs | $399 |
| Neo | 24 mph | 20 to 32 miles | 1000 Watts | 250 lbs | $499 |
| Earth Rover | 30 to 31 mph | 30 to 40 miles | 1600 Watts | 300 lbs | $799 |
Source: VibeRide Scooter Lineup.
VibeRide also focuses on comfort. Many scooters rattle and shake on bumpy city streets, making your feet hurt.
VibeRide uses large air-filled tires and special “MaxSmooth” shocks to absorb the bumps. The biggest model, the Earth Rover, has huge 11-inch tires and a 4-shock system that makes it feel almost like an off-road vehicle.
Electric Skateboards
VibeRide has also brought their tech to electric longboards. These boards are made from premium maple wood and even have a built-in handle so you can easily carry them onto a bus or train.
The VibeRide E-Board has two 500-watt motors, which means it has a massive 1000 watts of total power. This lets the board hit speeds of 25 mph and easily climb steep hills.
The battery can carry you for 15 miles and recharges in just two hours. This board gives riders the fun feel of a classic longboard but with the power of an electric vehicle.
Competitors and the Scooter Recall Crisis
To understand how well VibeRide is doing, we have to look at the rest of the market. Right now, the electric scooter industry is having a hard time with safety recalls.
Federal groups like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have forced many brands to recall their products. For example, Fly E-Bike had to recall their scooters because the brakes failed during testing.
Brands like Hover-1 and Schwinn had to recall scooters because parts were breaking and causing riders to fall. Even Segway, the biggest brand in the world, had to recall 220,000 scooters because the folding stems could collapse while riding.
Because of this crisis, VibeRide’s focus on safety is helping them win customers. They advertise that their batteries and motors are tested for millions of miles. They have avoided the big battery fires and brake failures that hurt other brands.
VibeRide’s biggest competitor is still Segway. Car magazines often name the Segway Ninebot Max G2 as the best overall scooter you can buy. It costs about $680, which puts it right between VibeRide’s Neo and Earth Rover models.
While Segway has a more famous name, VibeRide tries to win by offering faster speeds and stronger motors for a similar price. In the electric skateboard world, VibeRide competes with highly rated brands like Meepo and Acedeck.
Customer reviews for VibeRide are mostly great. On the review site Judge.me, they have a score of 4.3 out of 5 stars based on almost 900 reviews. Customers love how strong and safe the big scooters feel.
The Better Business Bureau gives them a B+ rating. However, a few users on Reddit have complained about slow shipping times when certain parts are out of stock, or trouble getting help if the digital screen breaks.
To fix this, VibeRide offers a 1-year warranty and a lifetime service plan to help fix broken parts.
VibeRide Net Worth and Current Business Status
A lot of online tools get confused and mix up VibeRide with a company called “WeRide” (WRD). WeRide is a giant self-driving car company worth over $2.7 billion. That is not the same company as VibeRide.
VibeRide is a private company, so we have to estimate its true value based on its funding and sales. When Mark Cuban invested $250,000 for 12% of the company, that deal gave VibeRide a value of about $2.08 million. After Shark Tank, the company raised another $450,000 in January 2023 to keep growing.
In 2026, VibeRide is doing very well. Because their $349 BrakeBoards sell out quickly, and they now sell high-priced $800 electric scooters, experts estimate VibeRide’s net worth is between $2.5 million and $3.5 million. They run a smart business by keeping a small team in Utah while having a large factory build their scooters.
Final Thoughts
VibeRide is a great example of a company that knew how to grow. They started by fixing one specific problem: helping skateboarders stop on steep hills. They used the power of Shark Tank to get money and attention, and they proved their business model with real sales.
But the smartest thing they did was expand. They knew that selling skateboard brakes would only make them so much money. By using Mark Cuban’s investment to build high-quality electric scooters for adults, they entered a massive new market.
As of today, VibeRide is a real player in the personal transportation world. As long as they keep making safe products and taking care of their customers, VibeRide will be a brand to watch for years to come.
