Ring on Shark Tank: What Happened to Doorbot?
History of Doorbot/Ring and televised pitch timeline. Practical US-English guide with sourced details and clear limitations.
Ring on Shark Tank: What Happened to Doorbot?
Information checked: November 1, 2026
Yes, the video doorbell company now known as Ring appeared on Shark Tank, but it was called DoorBot at the time. Founder Jamie Siminoff's pitch aired in November 2013, before the company rebranded and became widely known for connected home security devices. The story is often simplified into a single “rejected product became huge” headline, but the useful history is the progression from an early garage-built doorbell to a commercial product and later brand development.
The DoorBot era before the television pitch
Siminoff described building the business with a small team that worked from a garage, launching DoorBot publicly in December 2012 and shipping products in 2013. The aim was to let owners see and communicate with visitors remotely. That required combining a camera, wireless connection, battery performance and mobile notifications in a form factor suitable for a front door. Early manufacturing and funding constraints were part of the challenge.
What happened on Shark Tank?
Ring's founder later wrote that the DoorBot Shark Tank episode aired on November 15, 2013. The appearance gave the product national attention, but the pitch did not produce the straightforward on-air deal sometimes assumed in retellings. When reporting exact investor offers or statements from the program, distinguish the edited television appearance from subsequent interviews and company recollections. The brand's own later letters help document the timing of the episode.
From DoorBot to Ring
Following the first production run, the team used customer feedback to refine its devices and broaden the idea beyond an electronic doorbell. The company adopted Ring branding and expanded into a portfolio of video doorbells and security products. The path from early DoorBot units to later connected security cameras illustrates how hardware startups often iterate on reliability, power requirements, software and customer support rather than succeeding because of a single televised moment.
Why the history is still searched
Entrepreneurs often cite the story to discuss venture funding, product-market fit and the effect of national television on customer awareness. But making one pitch into a complete explanation obscures engineering work and later business decisions. For consumers looking to buy Ring devices today, an episode from 2013 does not describe current models, subscriptions or privacy features. Use current product documentation for those topics.
Timeline checklist
December 2012: DoorBot publicly launched, according to founder's account.
November 2013: early shipping and the Shark Tank broadcast period.
Later: Ring branding and a broader home-security product line.
Today: compare current Ring features using model-specific information.
Frequently asked questions
Was Ring called DoorBot on Shark Tank?
Yes. The product appeared under its earlier DoorBot name.
When did DoorBot appear on Shark Tank?
The founder's company account dates the broadcast to November 15, 2013.
Did the Shark Tank pitch describe today's Ring cameras?
No. It concerned an early video doorbell, years before the current product lineup.
Related reading
For a focused follow-up, see Ring Home Security System Explained.