What Happened To Elocksys Garage Door Lock From Shark Tank Season 5

According to 2023 statistics from the FBI and Department of Justice, 9% of burglars break in to homes through the garage door, although most gain entry through a first-floor window or back door. The frequency of garage break-ins is somewhat ironic given that many garage doors are equipped with automatic locking systems for added security. What many homeowners don't know is that these locks can be breached quickly and easily using a Slim Jim or wire coat hanger to manipulate the mechanism from the outside. With 70% of burglaries happening between June and August, now is the time of year to be extra vigilant. Bryan White noticed these vulnerabilities and invented the Garage Door Lock, a device that can be used to supplement or replace an existing garage door lock. It has a steel deadbolt — which many automatic garage doors lack — that can only be locked and unlocked using a remote control.

The launch of Garage Door Lock was a long time coming for White, who invented it back in 1979 and applied for a patent 20 years later.. In April 2014, he appeared on a Season 5 episode of "Shark Tank" — the same season that featured the Foot Fairy kids shoe size app and Scan QR code generator app — in hopes of landing an investment deal with one of the sharks or generating publicity for his product.

Bryan White appeared on "Shark Tank" Season 5, Episode 23 seeking a $275,000 investment for 30% equity in his company, which he valued at just under $917,000. He started his pitch with a recorded reenactment of a burglar breaking into a  garage door with a typical lock in just a few seconds. After pointing out that a home in the U.S. is broken into every 15 seconds, he explained that his product was an easy DIY install and compatible with any garage door.

White had sold 450 units of the Garage Door Lock for $249.99 each when he appeared on the show and had earned over $100,000 from website sales alone. This intrigued the sharks, who saw a promising but undermarketed product. Upon hearing this reaction, White clarified that it had been his lack of market presence that prompted him to come on "Shark Tank."

Barbara Corcoran was the first to pass on the opportunity, saying she thought White lacked the entrepreneurial skills to make it work. Robert Herjavec felt an experienced team could help White, and offered to take control of the business for 70% equity. Kevin O'Leary also passed on investing, but showed an interest in purchasing the product. Mark Cuban, who is leaving "Shark Tank" after Season 16, also declined to partner with White. Daymond John was the only shark to make an offer, at first requesting 40% equity in exchange for the asked-for $275,000. White counter-offered with his original 30% pitch, and the two men settled at 35%.

Several successful stories came out of "Shark Tank" Season 5. Ilumi smart lightbulbs closed a deal with Cuban and went on to sell millions of units through retail partners. The GrooveBook photo-printing subscription app also found success after securing a deal with Cuban and O'Leary, but sadly, we can't say the same for Garage Door Lock. White might have left the tank with an agreement with Daymond John, but there's no indication that the two parties ever sealed the deal. Shark Tank Blog said the company benefited from John's participation by landing a partnership with Guardian Locks, but Garage Door Lock does not appear in John's Pitchbook profile.

It's quite common for deals agreed to on the air to fall through. According to Forbes, 73% of business owners who appeared on "Shark Tank" did not get the deals they agreed on after filming. Many of the arrangements fell apart completely, while some were finalized with different terms than were agreed to on the show. Nevertheless, White's company is still in business. It rebranded as Elocksys and still sells remote-controlled garage door locks online. The flagship product's design has been streamlined a bit, but is still priced at $250. The package comes with the  lock mechanism, a wall console, wireless keypad, control box, remote control, and brackets and hooks for installation. Elocksys also sells extra remote controls at $25 each for households with multiple cars and users. The company's annual revenue was $3 million as of October 2023.

It's been more than 10 years since Bryan White introduced the Garage Door Lock (Now Elocksys) on "Shark Tank," and the new name is by no means the only big change for his business since. White also moved the company office to San Diego to be closer to the production facility of the company's new partner, Guardian Locks. This move helped bring costs down by 60%. Elocksys also worked to build its network of professional installers to meet growing demand and expand its reach.

As for White, it's not clear if he is still actively involved with the company he founded. His LinkedIn profile is pretty sparse, and though it lists hims as the president and CEO of Elocksys since March 2008, the company's official website refers to Elocksys as a "women [sic] owned business" and another LinkedIn profile for someone named Christine Barry claims she holds the titles of president and CEO of Elocksys. White has no active public-facing social media profiles, and hasn't granted many interviews. He does seem to have found a trusted source of badly-needed business advice and marketing help (perhaps Daymond John), as the Garage Door Lock found its market niche and is still available for purchase. Its $3 million annual sales figure may be a couple of years old, but the fact that the company has hung around for more than a decade is an accomplishment worth noting.