You'll Scream For The Drip Drop From 'Shark Tank'

Summer is quickly approaching, and you'll no doubt enjoy an ice cream cone or 12 during the season. As we all know, the only really bad part about the ice cream eating experience is that on super hot days, the frozen dessert tends to melt and drip down onto your hand and cone. But what if I told you it didn't have to be that way, and the Drip Drop could be the solution to that very annoying problem? Well, then you might just want to know if the Drip Drop from Shark Tank is available yet.

Food products can be kind of hit or miss on Shark Tank because everyone has their own unique taste, and no Shark really wants to invest in a product they don't think is delish. But the Drip Drop tries to solve a problem that is so relatable and accompanies such a yummy treat that I feel like the Sharks will at least give the product the time of day. The fact that the entrepreneurs behind the Drip Drop are only 14 years old is also bound to grab the Sharks' attention from the get-go (more on them later).

But the Drip Drop actually has a lot going for it beyond just these superficial qualities of the product, which could really make it a contender for a deal in the Tank. See what I mean below.

It'll Solve All Your Ice Cream Problems

So I've hinted a little bit at the fact that the Drip Drop helps in the ice cream melting department, but what exactly does it do? "The Drip Drop is an edible 'ring' made out of waffle cone ingredients that protects ice cream drips from getting on your hands and clothes," reads the product's description on its official website. It's basically an ice cream cone in the shape of a flat doughnut that you can slide onto an actual cone to catch your dessert when it melts. That way, none of it ends up dripping down your hands, and it all ends up in your mouth.

You Can't Get Your Hands On It Just Yet...

I knew this product was too good to be true. Unfortunately, "The Drip Drop is not available for sale," according to the company's website. However, you can buy a bunch of ice cream-themed Drip Drop swag over at the company's online store, so that's something.

...But It Could Drip Drop Its Way Into Your Life Soon

Though the Drip Drop is not currently sold anywhere, the company is hoping "to license the design to ice cream cone manufacturers or ice cream shops," its website says. Unfortunately, Daymond John, aka the Licensing King, is not one of the Sharks featured in Friday night's episode, according to a press release about it, but hopefully the Drip Drop snagged a deal with a Shark that can make these business goals happen.

The Founders Are Young And Hungry

Denver, Colorado natives Sam Nassif and Oliver Greenwald, the brilliant 14-year-old minds behind the Drip Drop, will hardly be the first minors to enter the Shark Tank. But the fact that they're not appearing in an all-kid episode or being accompanied by an adult in the Tank is a rare sight indeed.

Though they may be young, business is in these young entrepreneurs' blood. All of their parents have some connection to business, whether it's running their own company or teaching entrepreneurship at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business, according to The Denver Post. With that kind of support, motivation and drive, I think Shark Tank is only the beginning for these kids.

Their Invention Started Off In School

Nassif and Greenwald first got the inspiration for the Drip Drop when they were in fifth grade (boy, do I feel old) and participated in the Gates Invention and Innovation program at Graland Country Day School. “Our coaches told us to keep our eyes open for everyday problems all around us,” Nassif said in an article about the duo's upcoming Shark Tank appearance on his alma mater's website. "So we were walking past an ice cream shop and we saw these two little kids with sticky hands and messy clothes from their ice cream cones." The two noticed the kids' mom trying to clean them up using a handful of napkins, an image that stayed with Nassif and Greenwald. It eventually inspired a solution to that problem: the Drip Drop.

They're Going To Make Lori Greiner Proud

That's because these teens already have a U.S. Design Patent for their product. After winning second place in the invention competition at their school, the judges determined that they should receive funding to hire a patent attorney, and Nassif and Greenwald spent the next three years working on their application, according to the Drip Drop's website. The product eventually received a U.S. Design Patent in 2015. Let's all raise a cone to that!

Of course, Nassif and Greenwald will be judged like never before once they step into the Shark Tank during Friday night's episode. However, I have a feeling they'll be able to handle the heat much better than ice cream can.

Images: Michael Desmond/ABC (3); Giphy (2); sharktankabc/Tumblr