HyConn

Hy-Conn makes quick-connect fittings that let a hose snap onto a hydrant or spigot instead of being screwed on by hand. The main version is meant for firefighters, where saving seconds matters, and a smaller version is sold for garden hoses. The inventor is Jeff Stroope, a firefighter from Arkansas. Stroope pitched in Season 2, Episode 8. Several sharks competed, and Mark Cuban won with an offer to buy the whole company outright. As reported by Talk Business & Politics, the on-air terms were $1.25 million, plus a salaried contract for Stroope to keep running the business and an ongoing royalty. We have not found two independent sources for his original ask, so it is not listed here. The sale agreed on camera did not happen as planned. Reporting soon after the episode said Cuban preferred to license the product to another manufacturer, and Stroope later said the agreement was never put in writing. He added that the public tended to think he was already funded, which slowed him down. For a product with a safety use, the questions that matter are fit and compatibility with existing equipment. Buyers should confirm specifications with the seller, since we have not tested the product. A Hy-Conn website is online and selling the fittings, but the current owner and the size of the business remain unconfirmed. Its headquarters city is also unconfirmed. The details of the failed buyout are covered in the update below.