Last week, the roof of the MCM Studios building in Manhattan was still as six entrepreneurs took the stage to pitch their businesses. When it was her turn, April Wachtel stood and made the case for her company, Cheeky Cocktails, to a judging panel that included the billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper. Men holding TV cameras circled her during the pitch, capturing the moment live for Draper’s Shark Tank-style business competition show, Meet the Drapers.
The show is entering its eighth season, with past winners including the leadership platform Balloon and the food company It’s Skinny. After filming, Wachtel described the experience as a whirlwind and said the exposure is huge for startups like hers. Cheeky Cocktails offers a line of handcrafted cocktail mixers. She first learned about the show after coming in second at another pitch competition earlier in the month. A producer for Meet the Drapers reached out to ask if she was available to film, and less than two days later, she was pitching on the show. She noted that there is no substitute for hearing a founder tell their own story, adding that people might buy from you because they like you and then stick around because they love the product.
Last Monday, the show provided a behind-the-scenes look at its production for selected media and guests. Draper explained he wanted to offer a view into how investments are made. His judging panel included his sister, Polly Draper, an actress best known at the moment for appearing in Hacks. Also on the panel were Andy Tang, a partner at Draper Associates, and Rosie Rios, who served as Treasurer of the United States from 2009 until 2016.
The show is one of many on Draper’s newly launched television channel, DraperTV, which offers programming around business and entrepreneurship and is available via streaming services like Roku. Previously, the show aired on channels like BizTV. This season, the show travels to various U.S. cities, including Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Austin, and Detroit, to tap into local talent and highlight different tech ecosystems. Wachtel was one of six founders on the New York episode. The winners from each city advance to a semifinal round, culminating in a grand finale in San Francisco where they compete for a one million dollar prize.
Draper stated that the idea was for people around the world to see what the entrepreneurial and venture capital interaction looks like, and why it is one of the best things for creating jobs, wealth, energy, and consumer activity globally. The show featured all the hallmarks of entrepreneurship and entertainment that viewers love. Draper has a big personality and knows when to poke fun at himself. The investors gave clear insights, and the founders came with grand visions. Everyone hailed from diverse ethnic and gender backgrounds and various careers in a myriad of industries.
Sujana Chandrasekhar, founder of the medtech company KivviMed, participated in the same New Jersey pitch competition as Wachtel and also received a recommendation to audition for Meet the Drapers. Chandrasekhar said she was more nervous than usual while pitching, especially knowing the size of the show’s audience. KivviMed is creating a medical device to help alleviate ear pain. Draper mentioned the show has a large viewership, specifically in India, Brazil, and Taiwan. DraperTV, launched last summer, reportedly reaches more than 350 million households worldwide.
Chandrasekhar said she was able to stay focused and convey what she needed to during her pitch. The show’s staff helped prepare her by honing her pitch, providing a small walking tour of New York with the founders, and offering hair and makeup services, which made her feel special. She added that the exposure her company and vision receives is outstanding.
Hilary Taylor, the founder of WattsUp, agreed. WattsUp is a startup that created electric vehicle infrastructure. Taylor learned about the show through the Techstars Alabama Accelerator program, which her company is currently part of. She called the show engaging and challenging, saying it was just as much about storytelling as it was about business. She explained that you have to connect with viewers and judges in a very short window, simplifying complex technology for a mainstream audience while still sounding credible to investors. She added that the show helps early-stage founders connect with those beyond the tech bubble. She described the experience as having candid, funny, and even goofy moments that made it feel human and unexpectedly fun, unlike the buttoned-up feel of many VC pitch rooms.
Meet the Drapers is only one part of a larger Draper media empire. Draper is a third-generation investor and, in the 1980s, founded Draper Associates, a venture firm that has backed some of the biggest names in tech, like Tesla, Skype, and Twitch. His children have also entered the family venture capital business. It is clear Draper has big ambitions for his tech and startup-focused media empire. DraperTV offers shows like Draper Decentralized, about AI and web3; the Can’t Be Done podcast, about emerging technology; and Talk with Tim, in which Draper shares his perspectives on business and technology.
He is also building digital twins, which are AI versions of himself that can interact with people and conduct interviews. He believes digital twins will become a more significant part of entertainment, media, and news, though he added that humans will still play a big role in news development. He stated that he has created five digital twins and has one interviewing historical figures like Karl Marx.
Beyond his TV network, Draper still runs Draper University, a program that has sometimes used unconventional methods to train entrepreneurs on how to survive in the startup world. One of his first forays into reality TV was a show based on Draper University called Startup U, which was canceled after one season. Draper said he still likes the premise and has not ruled out making another, similar attempt. He said they have done extraordinary things with entrepreneurs, resulting in very good videos and storytelling.
Draper believes that the innovation these founders are building will be of greatest importance in the decades to come and that showcasing such talent now is a gateway for people to explore the future. On Meet the Drapers, that meant a sneak peek at the future of sports betting, how founders are looking to enhance drug discovery, and how electric vehicle infrastructure is about to see a shake-up. He concluded that while other networks tell the story of what is happening right now, he wants to tell the story of fifteen years from now.