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Shark Tank Season 13 is set to introduce four interesting business deals in the upcoming Episode 19. One of the pitches will be made by the founder of Lucy Drawing Tool, Les Cookson.
Cookson runs the California-based company LUCIDArt, which sells unique history-inspired products, including the Lucy Drawing Tool. The product takes inspiration from a historical device, the camera lucida, which was invented by English chemist William Hyde Wollaston and subsequently patented in 1806.
He will bring the product to Shark Tank, hoping to find an investor. Only time will tell whether the panel of sharks would want to invest in the business.
Meet founder Les Cookson
Cookson has always been interested in invention, especially reinventing historical optical devices. Mentioning the founder, the brand’s website states:
“Les started his work reinventing historical optical devices in 2005, through his interest in the painting techniques of the Old Masters. His work and interest have expanded to include several of the fascinating and magical devices of the past.”
Interestingly, the founder has appeared on Shark Tank before in Season 2 Episode 6. He arrived on the show to introduce his company, Carsik Bib, which made barf bags for babies. It went down as one of the most bizarre products to be showcased in the history of Shark Tank. He didn’t get the deal then, but he might just fare well this time. Apart from the ABC show, Cookson has also appeared in The Toy Box and a local morning show called GoodDay Sacramento.
The website further states:
"Les has sold tens of thousands of his reinvented drawing tools, optical toys, and hand-built replicas to artists, universities, and museums all over the world, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. He has also supplied his creations as TV and movie props for production companies like Disney, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Paramount."
Where to buy?
Lucy Drawing Tool products can be purchased from the company’s website or Amazon. The basic item, Lucy Flex, is priced at $97 and it adds up to $119 with a Photo Enlarger and a bag. The company also offers Lucy Pro at $277 and Lucy Mini at $59. Interested buyers can also purchase drawing kits separately.
In 2016, Les Cookson’s Kickstarter campaign turned out to be successful, raising $88,771. Since then, the business has reportedly been doing well.
When will Les Cookson pitch his business on Shark Tank?
Founder Cookson will showcase the Lucy Drawing Tool on Shark Tank during Season 13 Episode 19. It will air on ABC on Friday, April 8 at 8.00 pm Eastern Time (ET).
The art business has been mentioned in the official synopsis of episode 19. It reads:
“An entrepreneur from Lincoln, California, makes his second appearance in the Tank and hopes this time around his reinvented take on an old drawing tool for artists will land him a deal.”
The other businesses to feature in the upcoming episode are Dirty Cookie, Busy Box and SwiftPaws.
The panel of sharks for the evening will be Kevin O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Daymond John and Mark Cuban.
