Start-up company Trobo and its STEM-inspired toy robots made its big debut Friday on TV show “Shark Tank.”

And landed a deal.

“We believe in this robot, yes. We are known as the guys who are walking around holding plush robots,” said Jeremy Scheinberg, clutching a toy robot.

Scheinberg and his partner, Chris Harden, are not toymakers; they are engineers.

But, when the 41-year-old dads saw their children playing with mindless apps and games, they thought they could do better. After a bumping into each other at an Orlando tech community event, Scheinberg and Harden decided to join forces, taking a leap of faith.

“I’ve learned along the way that you see the moment come, and if you don’t take it, it will pass,” said Harden.

They quit their jobs to pursue their dream.

From inception to production


Scheinberg and Harden test their Trobos while our camera rolls. (Julie Gargotta, Staff)

The idea was simple: pair an iPad app with a toy robot, with which kids can cuddle and play. The robot reads aloud, in both English and Spanish, and comes with access to several customizable stories and games.

“[It’s] something that kids can have and hold and hug, that would allow them to create an emotional connection between what they’re seeing on the screen and what’s happening,” said Scheinberg.

Both creators are passionate about promoting STEM education, hoping to pass it along to children everywhere.

“When you look at STEM, it infiltrates everything we do,” said Chris Harden, CPO of Trobo. “Everything from the camera we’re using to the lights on the walls.”

While their idea was sound, neither Scheinberg nor Harden had any idea how to craft a tangible toy.

“It’s one of the things Chris and I figured out very early on is how little we knew about the industry we were getting into.”

Trobo was accepted into the Starter Studio business accelerator program. They then received a grant from the National Science Foundation, bolstering their efforts.

In 2014, they launched a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising $61,000 tied to orders for 600 toy robots. With a home base in Canvs, the co-working space housed in the Church Street Exchange Building in Orlando, the Trobo pair conducted focus groups and honed their product.

“When you’re an entrepreneur, it’s a very lonely existence,” said Scheinberg. “Chris and I work together, sometimes we feel like an old married couple.”

Soon, they were featured on Amazon, and dreaming big. But a flight to Los Angeles last summer was the culmination of their work. They were ready to share Trobo robots with the world.

Diving into the Shark Tank  

In June, Scheinberg and Harden felt nervous, waiting in the wings on the set of the TV show “Shark Tank.” They were preparing to pitch their storytelling robot to a circle of “shark” investors.

“They said, ‘It’s your turn.’ They took us in a golf cart to the sound stage, start micing us up,” said Scheinberg. “And then there was really that moment where, this is it. We’re on the set of this show, and we’re about to go on.”

But there was a flub in taping, just as Scheinberg launched into his well-rehearsed pitch.

“Thirty seconds in and the producers go, ‘Stop, wait, wait.’ And they said, ‘Your mic is not working,’” recalled Harden.

On Friday, after some tough negotiations, Trobo landed a deal with one of the "Shark Tank" investors.

Looking to the future


There are currently two Trobo styles, but Scheinberg and Harden hope to expand their lineup.

Trobo creators don’t just see their creation as a passing fad for science-loving children. Rather, they see their plush robot as a mainstay, promoting STEM education.

“We see Trobo as an icon for early childhood science education,” said Scheinberg. “We have huge and very big, audacious goals of making this the new ‘Bill Nye’ for the newest generation.”

Their vision includes museum exhibits, more stories and books. Scheinberg’s daughter wants them to create ‘Trobo World’ at some point, as well. They plan to expand the Trobo line past the two current robots, with expertise in chemistry and physics, and create an “ecosystem of Trobos.”

“I want to give that technical strength to my son, and he wants to do the same thing for his children,” said Harden.

Just this week, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer gave Trobo a shout-out during the State of the City Address. The toymakers were ecstatic, but are mindful of their roots: They plan to continue to work hand-in-hand with the city’s blooming tech community, to further a product that makes their own families proud.

“Orlando has helped us in so many ways,” said Harden. “We’re part of the beginning of a huge tech push here. I’ve got to give back, we’ve got to say thank you.”

Trobo retails for $69.99 and is available on the Trobo website.