The founder and CEO of Pronto Concepts, Alexander Simone, started his journey of developing the ProntoBev wine chiller in 2013. He tried to instantly chill a bottle of wine by passing it through a strainer filled with ice and sprinkled with salt, but the wine that came through it was watered down and salty.
This event exposed him o the problem of chilling wine in a few seconds, and he instantly got down to design a prototype, but it didn’t work.
In 2015, Alexander developed another small prototype and presented it to an Entrepreneurial Marketing course. He was confident that such a device could chill an entire wine bottle in only 30 seconds.
After months of further developments, he worked with his team to design the working ProntoBev prototype, and after trial and error, they had a ProntoBev working model. The company launched an Indiegogo Campaign and received more than $60,000 in funding.
What Do They Make?
ProntoBev is a fast wine chiller that can chill an entire bottle of wine to your desired temperature in 30 seconds. The technology used in ProntoBev is patent-pending, and the wine chiller allows the user to control the temperature to which they want to chill their wine. The wine chiller isn’t only used for wine. It can cool your coffee, tea, juice, water, and other beverages in seconds.
For the ProntoBev to work, it must be stored in the freezer until its time to use it. The wine is poured inside through an inlet, allowed to chill for 30 seconds, and poured out from an outlet through a jug-like nozzle.
What Makes Them Unique?
The ProntoBev is designed as an elegant and economical wine chiller. The walls are layered and embedded with a unique material that Pronto Concepts uses, which is ProntoGel. The interior of the wine chiller is constructed using stainless steel that is not affected by the presence of wine or other beverages. ProntoBev also offers a unique way of adjusting the temperature at which a wine should be chilled, as different wines require different temperatures for an ideal flavor.
Are They Still an Active Company?
The upcoming years after the product launch were affected by COVID, and the company failed to meet the expectations and demands of its customers. However, there is still hope that the company will recover and their factories will start manufacturing and resupplying ProntoBev wine chillers.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Alexander Simone appeared on the show seeking $100,000 for 5% equity in his business, ProntoBev. He explained how his working prototype took years to design and develop and invited the Sharks to taste the chilled wine from one of the ProntoBev chillers. Kevin remarked that the wine was at the right temperature and very cold.
While the Sharks enjoyed their glasses of cold wine, Alexander explained how the company uses a trade secret, ProntoGel, that is used inside the containers. The ProntoGel chills the wine without watering it down or diluting its taste.
The Sharks were impressed by the clever design and working of ProntoBev but thought that the valuation was too high. Kevin also mentioned that the wine chiller market is very proprietary, and Alexander would have to work very hard to penetrate this market.
Daymond was the first Shark to go out since he thought the valuation Alexander demanded was high. Robert agreed with Daymond and also went out. Lori was also fascinated with the idea of a ProntoBev wine chiller, but regardless of that, she went out. However, she thought Alexander would need to invest a lot in education regarding the product.
Mark thought the company wasn’t profitable enough for the valuation demanded, so he went out for that reason.
Kevin was, however, interested in making an offer. He would give Alexander the $100,000 but for 50% equity. Kevin wasn’t going to negotiate, even though Alexander wanted him to come down to 20% equity. Kevin wanted a yes or no answer on the spot. Meanwhile, Mark started showing interest in the product once again.
Mark inquired about the following product design Alexander had in mind, and Alexander revealed that it was a martini shaker. Mark offered to give $100,000 for a 25% equity contingent that Alexander would raise another $100,000. Alexander agreed, and Mark immediately sealed the deal, leaving a disappointed Kevin behind.
Alexander happily left the stage, saying it was the “best day of his life.”
Our Review of ProntoBev
ProntoBev has solved one of the most common problems in every gathering, which is warm wine. What is better than having a wine chiller that takes less than a minute to chill the entire bottle of wine? ProntoBev is making a difference in how people treat their wines and feel the need to refrigerate them for hours before taking a sip. The adjustment temperature setting is also a breakthrough as it allows different types of wines to chill to specific temperatures at which their flavor is fully unlocked.
Pros of ProntoBev
- A sustainable and economical alternative to a wine refrigerator
- Cools the wine without watering it down as ice cubes do
- Allows wine to be chilled in only 30 seconds to your desired temperature.
Cons of ProntoBev
- The ProntoBev wine chiller is quite expensive.
Who Is ProntoBev For?
ProntoBev is a genius solution for those who constantly forget to refrigerate their wine before a party or a special night. It can also be used to chill the wine your guests bring so that you can serve it to them and share it with everyone instantly.
Are There Any Alternatives?
- HyperChiller HC2CB Patented Iced Coffee/Beverage Cooler
- Oggi Wine Cooler, Stainless Steel
- S’well Stainless Steel Wine Chiller.
Our Final Thoughts
The product design of ProntoBev is very genius and unique. Given the company’s challenges after appearing on the show, it would be great to see them come out the other end with excellent sales and a company that scales profitably.
