Product Update
Is Sierra Madre Research Still in Business? (2026 Update)
Is Sierra Madre Research from Shark Tank still around in 2026? The deal it made, the sharks who invested, and where to buy Sierra Madre Research today.
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Richard and Juli Rhett built Sierra Madre Research around an idea Richard first saw on a humanitarian trip to Honduras in 2009: a hammock that doubles as a full weatherproof shelter, no tent stakes or flat ground required. They pitched that idea, branded the Nube Shelter, to Richard Branson in Season 9, and the company's story has stayed tied to that same founder ever since.
The Short Answer
Sierra Madre Research appears to still be operating in 2026 according to multiple Shark Tank tracking sites, though this is one of the harder cases to verify independently. The company's fact sheet lists no dedicated company website, and this research did not turn up one either, which is unusual for an outdoor gear brand still selling actively.
If the reporting from tracking sites is accurate, the Nube Shelter and related camping gear are available through Amazon and select outdoor retailers rather than a standalone storefront. Treat that as a moderate confidence read rather than a confirmed fact, given the absence of a primary source to check directly.
The Shark Tank Pitch
Sierra Madre Research opened Season 9 as the very first pitch of the season, Episode 1. Richard and Juli Rhett asked for 175,000 dollars in exchange for 15 percent equity to scale production of their covered hammock shelters, positioned as a lighter, faster alternative to a traditional tent.
The humanitarian angle mattered to the pitch. Richard's original inspiration came from watching families in Honduras sleep without adequate shelter, and the company has continued to describe clean water projects in Central America as part of its mission alongside the gear business.
The Deal That Got Done
Richard Branson made the deal, matching the ask exactly: 175,000 dollars for 15 percent equity, no renegotiation on either side. That is a relatively rare outcome on Shark Tank, where founders more often see their equity number move in the shark's favor.
Branson is not a frequent guest shark, which makes this one of the more notable deals of Season 9 simply by virtue of who signed it. His involvement with a small outdoor gear startup out of a hammock focused pitch was a departure from his more typical airline and space industry ventures.
Sierra Madre Research net worth in 2026
A handful of Shark Tank tracking sites cite a figure around 4 million dollars in revenue for Sierra Madre Research, attributed to unnamed post show reporting rather than any filing, interview, or company statement this research could independently confirm. That number should be read as unverified.
Given the company has no confirmed public facing website as of this writing, there is not enough independently checkable information to responsibly attach a net worth figure to Sierra Madre Research. The honest position is that its financials are not publicly documented in any source this research could verify.
Where Things Stand Now
The available evidence points to a company that is still around, still associated with its original founders, and still selling the Nube Shelter concept it pitched in Season 9, but the trail goes thinner than most Shark Tank alumni once you look past the tracking site summaries.
If you are searching for this page because you want to buy one, the most reliable move is checking Amazon directly for current Sierra Madre Research or Nube Shelter listings, since no standalone company website could be confirmed as part of this research.
The Piece That Does Not Quite Add Up
Reporting on Sierra Madre Research after the show tends to repeat the same upbeat language across multiple tracking sites almost word for word, describing international expansion into Europe and Asia and a broadened lineup of sleeping bags and camp chairs. That kind of uniform, unattributed claim across otherwise independent sites is worth flagging rather than repeating as fact.
None of those specific claims, the international markets, the new product lines, could be verified against a primary source, a retailer listing, or a company statement during this research. That does not mean they are false. It means a reader who wants the real picture should treat the growth narrative as plausible but unconfirmed, and lean on Amazon listing activity as the more concrete signal of whether the brand is actually moving product today.
Where to buy Sierra Madre Research
Still selling as of May 29, 2026. Check today's price and availability.
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See the full Sierra Madre Research deal breakdown and term sheet →
