UPDATE on Kausi Raman & Max Leichty of ChompShop on ‘Shark Tank’

Children often have imaginations that outpace the tools to bring their ideas to life. The instruments are out there, but giving a child a chainsaw or drill is not only frowned upon, but also dangerous. Max Liechty and Kausi Raman recognized the need for more kid-friendly power tools and developed ChompShop. The duo pitched their idea on Season 16 of “Shark Tank,” but what’s become of the company since then?

Shark Tank’s ‘Kid-Safe Power Tool’ Just Donated 138 Products to Teachers

ChompSaw’s tagline is “A kid-safe power tool for cutting cardboard! Bring ideas to life and transform ordinary cardboard into extraordinary projects.” The power tool enables children to cut cardboard and build 3D models safely, giving parents peace of mind that their children won’t harm themselves.

The pair pitched their product to sharks Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, and guest shark Rashaun Williams. They asked for $250,000 in exchange for a 5% equity in their company, and had a valuation of $5 million.

While they received offers from all the sharks except Williams, they chose to work with Cuban and Greiner. They agreed to a 15% equity split between them for $250,000.

Shortly before the episode aired, ChompShop shipped out 4,000 bundles, fulfilling all its Kickstarter orders. They also posted an update on November 29 that the first batch of Shopify pre-orders was being shipped.

More recently, they revealed that they donated 138 ChompSaws to teachers and classrooms. They also set a goal that, for every ChompSaw bought, one would be donated to a teacher.

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Raman conceived the concept for ChompShop in March 2022 while enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania’s Integrated Product Design Master’s program. “I came up with the design during a class for that program, and the goal was teaching kids design thinking skills,” she told the sharks. “And we used cardboard so often, we got to the prototyping stage, I realized that working with cardboard is really difficult for kids, as much as they love it.”

By May, fellow classmate Liechty was brought on board, and his 2-year-old son, Milo, helped them turn it into a workable product. After spending a year testing it and getting feedback from parents, educators, and others, they launched a Kickstarter campaign. Their Kickstarter campaign reached its $50,000 goal in 23 minutes and ultimately raised over $1.1 million.

In December 2024, ChompShop asked those who’d received ChompSaws for Christmas for feedback. The reviews were mixed. “This has been the coolest Christmas gift!” wrote one person. My girls are making everything and love it!”

Not everyone loved it, though, with some stating that the cardboard didn’t go through well. “I bought this and am super disappointed with the quality,” a frustrated commenter wrote. “Doesn’t cut cardboard easily! Wish they would have clearly stated you need thin cardboard in order to use.”

ChompShop was very proactive in responding to everyone who had issues, with many reporting that they had been offered replacements. Over the last five months, complaints appear to have leveled off, so hopefully, whatever issues the company had, they have been resolved.