There was barely a breeze on the roof of MCM’s Manhattan studios last week as six entrepreneurs took the stage to present their corporations.
At some point it was April Wachtel’s turn. She stood up and made the case for her company, Cheeky Cocktails, to a panel of judges that included billionaire enterprise capitalist Tim Draper. Men with television cameras circled her as she threw, capturing the live moment of Draper’s “Shark Tank”-style business competition show “Meet the Drapers.”
The show is entering its eighth season, with past winners taking the leadership platform Balloon and food company He’s skinny.
After the show, Wachtel told TechCrunch that it was a “whirlwind” and stated that for startups like hers, the exposure is huge. Cheeky cocktails offers a line of handmade cocktail mixers. She heard about the program after placing second in one other pitching competition earlier this month. The producer of “Meet the Drapers” contacted her and asked if she could make a video, and lower than two days later she began presenting on the show.
“Nothing replaces hearing a founder tell their own story,” she said. “At the end of the day, people may buy from you because they like you, and then stay because they love your product.”
Last Monday, chosen media and guests got a behind-the-scenes look at the program. Draper told TechCrunch he wants to offer a behind-the-scenes look at how investments are made.
His jury included his sister, Polly Draper, an actress now best known for her appearance on “Hacks.” The panel also included Andy Tang, partner at Draper Associates, and Rosie Rios, who served as United States Treasurer from 2009 to 2016.
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The show is one of many on Draper’s newly launched television channel, DraperTV, which offers business and entrepreneurship programming available through streaming services reminiscent of Roku. Previously, the show was aired on channels like BizTV.
This season, the show takes place in various U.S. cities reminiscent of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Austin and Detroit, leveraging local talent and highlighting different tech ecosystems.
Wachtel was one of the six founders of the New York section, whose winners advance to the semifinal round with the winners of the other cities, and then to the grand finale in San Francisco, where they compete for a million-dollar prize.
“The idea was for people around the world to see what it looks like when entrepreneurship and venture capital interact and why it is one of the best things in creating jobs, wealth, energy and consumer activity around the world,” Draper said.
The show had all the entrepreneurial and entertaining features that viewers love. Draper has a big personality and knows when to make fun of himself. Investors provided clear insights and founders presented great visions. They all got here from different ethnic and gender backgrounds and pursued different careers in countless industries.
Sujana Chandrasekhar, founding father of the healthcare company KivviMed, entered the same pitch competition in New Jersey as Wachtel and was also beneficial to audition for the film “Meet the Drapers.” Chandrasekhar said she was more nervous than usual while performing on “Meet the Drapers,” especially considering the size of the show’s audience. KivviMed creates a medical device that may help relieve ear pain.
I created five digital twins. I have an interview with my digital twin, like Karl Marx.
Draper said the series has enjoyed strong viewership, particularly in India, Brazil and Taiwan. According to program statistics, DraperTV, launched last summer, reaches over 350 million households around the world.
“I was able to stay focused and convey what I needed and answer questions to the best of my ability,” Chandrasekhar told TechCrunch. She said that the show’s staff also helped her with her preparations. They helped her refine her message, took her on a short walking tour of New York with the founders, and provided hair and makeup that she said made her feel special.
“The exposure our company and our vision receives is unique,” she added, explaining why she decided to participate.
Hilary Taylor, founding father of WattsUp, agreed. WattsUp is a startup that created electric vehicle infrastructure. Taylor learned about the program through the Techstars Alabama Accelerator program, which her company currently participates in.
She called the program engaging and difficult, saying it was as much about storytelling because it was about business.
“You have to connect with viewers and judges in a very short period of time, simplifying complex technology for a mainstream audience while maintaining credibility for investors,” she continued, adding that the program helps early-stage founders connect with people outside the tech bubble.
“Unlike many buttoned-up VC performance rooms, this one had honest, funny and even goofy moments that made it feel human and unexpectedly funny,” she said.
“Meet the Drapers” is just one a part of the larger Draper media empire being built. Draper himself is a third-generation investor (after his famous father and grandfather) who in the Nineteen Eighties founded Draper Associates, a enterprise capital firm that has backed some of the biggest names in tech, reminiscent of Tesla, Skype and Twitch. His children, including Jesse Draper, founding father of Halogen Ventures, and Adam Draper, founding father of Halogen Ventures, also entered the family enterprise capital business. Increase VC.
It’s clear that Draper has big ambitions for his tech and startup-focused media empire. DraperTV offers programs reminiscent of “Draper Decentralized” about artificial intelligence and web3; “Can’t Be Done” podcast on emerging technologies; and “Talk to Tim,” in which Draper shares his views on business and technology.
There’s no substitute for hearing a founder tell their very own story.
It also creates digital twins: versions of AI that may interact with people and even conduct interviews. He believes digital twins will turn out to be a more significant a part of entertainment, media and news, although the added humans will still play a large role in news development.
“I created five digital twins,” he said. “I’m interviewing my digital twin, like Karl Marx.”
Outside of his television network, Draper still hosts Draper University, a show that sometimes used unconventional methods train entrepreneurs how to survive in the jungle of the startup world. For example, one of his first forays into reality television was on the Draper University-based show “Startup U,” which was quickly canceled after one season. However, Draper said he still liked the idea and didn’t rule out making one other similar attempt.
“We’ve done some amazing things with entrepreneurs, which has resulted in some very good films and very good stories,” he said.
Draper believes that the innovations created by the company’s founders will make a huge difference in the coming many years, and showcasing such talent now is a gateway for people to discover the future. On “Meet the Drapers,” that meant a glimpse into how people see the way forward for sports betting, how founders want to improve drug discovery, and how electric vehicle infrastructure will soon change.
“There are some networks that are thinking about the future,” Draper continued. “Everyone is telling the story of what’s happening now. We want the story in 15 years.”