Whatever Happened To Urbio Modern Wall Planters After Shark Tank Season 4?

In 2013, Beau Oyler and Jared Aller appeared on Season 4 of "Shark Tank" with a vertical gardening product. Urbio Modern Wall Planters was designed by the duo to help people living in small spaces have a place to safely store their indoor plants. The company's wall planters use powerful magnets to keep your plants secure on the wall. The planters were designed in various shapes and sizes and made from recycled plastic, which is great for people trying to live more sustainably.

In the months leading up to their appearance on "Shark Tank," Urbio was already growing. It had been shown on television, highlighted in various blogs and magazines, and sold in over 50 countries. Within the first four months of starting Urbio, Aller and Oyler racked up $125,000 in sales from their website and two dozen small retail stores. Despite their success, the founders were finding they could not keep up with the demand for orders and asked the sharks for their help.

On the show, Oyler and Aller showed the sharks their unique plant hanging design and explained the need for their product. "Inside each of us is a need to connect with nature in a meaningful way, and indoor plants are a fantastic way of doing this," Oyler said. "People living in larger homes ... you've got plenty of space for plants, but for the rest of us living in small spaces ... and most people in the world, we simply don't have the room for indoor plants."

The founders were seeking $300,000 for 12% of their company. Several sharks were instantly invested in making a partnership with Urbio, though Mark Cuban backed out due to prior negotiations with the company. Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, and Robert Herjavec argued over who would be the best investor to further Urbio's success, causing Daymond John to chant "Shark Fight!" In the end, Aller and Oyler partnered with Greiner, taking a deal of $300,000 for 15% equity.

After their appearance on "Shark Tank" aired, the founders of Urbio began selling their product in thousands of stores all over the country. When Greiner proposed her deal to the founders, she asked if they would consider finding a way to lower the cost of their wall-mounted storage units, and after the show, Aller and Oyler began working on just that. Two years after the show, the pair introduced a new, less expensive line of their product called Perch.

Besides the lower cost, their Perch models also implemented Command Strips into their design. This allows those in apartments, dorms, and even businesses and classrooms to adhere the magnetic plates to their walls without fear of damage. While Urbio was originally designed to hold plants, the wall-mounted containers are great for all types of storage, and Oyler and Aller embraced this with their Perch line. In a press release, Aller explained the benefits of their new products. "From the beginning, our goal has been to offer smart design to everyone. Perch extends the Urbio experience to a broader audience without sacrificing product quality. We accomplished this by simplifying the manufacturing process and materials," he said. In 2015, the company also purchased the Sabi brand, which featured vertical organizers for kitchens and bathrooms, expanding Urbio even further.

While Urbio's products can still be purchased, Aller and Oyler sold their company to Honey-Can-Do in 2016. The CEO of Honey-Can-Do, Steve Greenspon, told Home Furnishing News about how the company would honor Urbio. "The entire team at Honey-Can-Do is excited for the rollout that we feel will further the Urbio mission as well as complement the assortments of our combined retail partners," Greenspon said.

Now, the wall organizers are sold under the name of Perch on Honey-Can-Do's website. They advertise that the products are not only great for plant enthusiasts but can be used to create an organized office, desk, or crafting space. The wall organizers come in a variety of shapes, including a small shelf. Perch products can also be found at The Container Store, Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, Michael's, Camping World, JCPenney, and H-E-B. Though Aller and Oyler no longer run Urbio, their innovative product continues to thrive.

While they no longer work together with Urbio, both Oyler and Aller are still involved with product design. Oyler continues to be the CEO of Enlisted Design, the original parent company of Urbio. Enlisted Design helps to create innovative products for companies and grows their brands. "My grandpa taught industrial design as a professor and we would make things together," Oyler explained in an interview with Davies Allen. "He would take me to his school and introduced me to his students. He taught me to envision something in my mind, sketch it out, and go make it. I realized I could be something big in this industry, and to do this I needed to have my own studio."

Oyler is also acting as the Chief Design Officer for Pattern, which helps businesses grow quickly through ecommerce and sell their products globally and is a member of the Fast Company Executive Board. After Urbio, Aller became the Global Head of Vapor Design for BAT or British American Tobacco, which encourages harm reduction when it comes to smoking. BAT produces various nicotine delivery systems, such as vapes and tobacco heating products, that they claim to have less risk than smoking cigarettes.