Ashley Drake founded The Natural Grip in 2013 to provide custom hand protection for athletes. In 2014, she secured a $125,000 investment from Robert Herjavec on Shark Tank, valuing the company at $500,000.
Despite initial success and a partnership with Reebok, The Natural Grip ceased operations by the end of 2018 due to declining sales.
As of 2024, the company remains closed, with no acquisitions or crowdfunding efforts reported. Ashley Drake has since transitioned to a role as an Industrial Engineering Supervisor at UPS.
Natural Grip Net Worth
| Estimated Net worth | $500,000 (2014) Business Valuation |
| Annual Sales Revenue | Not available |
| Lifetime sales | Not available |
| Investor | Robert Herjavec |
| Founder | Ashley Drake |
| Employees | Not available |
Natural Grip Pitch on Shark Tank
| Company name | Natural Grip |
| Product | Custom Crossfit gym hand grips for working out |
| Episode | Season 6 Episode 08 |
| Founder | Ashley Drake |
| Asked for | $100,000 for 20% Equity |
| Final deal | $125,000 for 25% Equity |
| Shark | Robert Herjavec |
| Location | Somerville, Massachusetts |
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Natural Grip Founder
Ashley Drake founded Natural Grip in 1993. The founder of Natural Grip is Ashley Drake. She is a former Army Captain and entrepreneur who created the product to protect her own hands from tearing and ripping while working out. The net worth of Natural Grip’s founder, Ashley Drake, is unknown as of 2024, since the business is no longer functioning.
Key accomplishments
| Year | Accomplishment |
| 2014 | Appeared on Shark Tank season 6 and Robert Herjavec invested $125,000 for 25% equity. |
| 2016 | Natural Grip was featured in Shape, Self, and Cosmopolitan. |
| 2017 | Natural Grip was named one of the “Best Fitness Products” by Women’s Health. |
Conclusion
Some companies that appear on the show have not achieved great success, and the Natural Grip was one of them. Sometimes businesses don’t succeed because of many reasons. Sometimes, the deal falls through after the founders say yes on camera. Or, as you’ll see, sometimes things happen to the founders themselves, and they choose to abandon the business. Anything is possible. However, Natural Grip went out of business in 2022. And the product is no longer available in the market.