What Happened To The Novel Effect App On Shark Tank Season 9?

Gathering up your kids for a story before bed is a tale as old as time. Bringing a high-tech twist to this age-old tradition were Matt and Melissa Hammersley, who utilized their expertise to bring to life the Novel Effect app, a speech recognition interactive reading app. The husband and wife duo's idea got them a spot on "Shark Tank," but could they tell a strong enough story to get an investment? 

The idea came about during a baby shower celebrating their firstborn. At the event, they noticed a friend of theirs reading to her child while adding sound effects and voices, upping the engagement to a noticeable degree. Intrigued by the potential this possessed for their own kids, the Hammersleys employed their background in engineering and graphic design to create the prototype of what would become the Novel Effect app. The success of their product with their own family encouraged the two to go all in on the idea, even selling their home and moving across the country to bootstrap their company. 

Appearing on "Shark Tank" Season 9 alongside other app pitches such as the airport navigator Trippie and the budget-conscious Savy Shopping App, the pair behind Novel Effect sought out a massive $5 million valuation, despite having yet to make a penny on the product up to that point. While a number of the sharks didn't hesitate to chew them out regarding their valuation and business strategy, the team managed to be good enough storytellers to bring a shark on board.

Matt and Melissa Hammersley entered the tank hoping to get a $500,000 investment for a 10% equity stake. To demonstrate Novel Effect's capabilities, they read a story that lampooned the show to three kids, depicting two swordfish pitching a business idea to some sharks, complete with voice clips of Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner. The app's potential, along with the admirable sacrifice put in by the couple to get their business off the ground, made a great first impression.  

The team had secured $620,000 in funding, with $500,000 being a convertible note at a $4 million cap. They received additional support from Amazon's Alexa Fund, as the technology possessed plenty of potential for storytelling. However, the company was still in the pre-revenue stage as its primary concern was to build up its content library, with future plans to employ a subscription-based model of $5 a month. Their strategy to attract customers would be to partner with retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon and place stickers on their books that state that they're voice-interactive using the Novel Effect app. 

Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary didn't think that the strategy had legs, feeling that it wouldn't convert enough parents to justify the $5 million valuation, with O'Leary in particular having had negative experiences in the past with similar services. Lori Greiner and Sara Blakely were more on board with the idea. While they briefly considered going in together, Greiner ultimately chose to make her own offer so that the team could keep more equity. After some discussion, they settled on $500,000 for a 15% stake. 

Novel Effect's "Shark Tank" episode debuted on October 29, 2017. Fan reaction to the product and its marketing strategy in the episode's aftermath was mixed to negative, with many not seeing it as a scalable business. Additionally, the Novel Effect team would part ways with investor Lori Greiner after filming took place, as neither party was able to reach to a satisfactory agreement. This is not an unusual occurrence, as can be seen with deals such as Mark Cuban and Sworkit from Season 7. What many viewers don't realize is that the handshake deal seen on the show is not a binding agreement, but is followed by a period of due diligence and research that will often see alterations to the initial terms before a final settlement is made.

Despite these hiccups, Novel Effect was able to move forward and find success in the show's aftermath. By the first half of 2018, usage of the app skyrocketed by 400% with over 50,000 downloads. In May of that year, the company announced that it had raised $3 million in Series A funding. The investment round would see Waverley Capital, Alpha Edison, and TenOneTen Ventures take the lead with Amazon, McCune Capital, and others making additional contributions. The team planned on using their newfound resources to expand strategic partnerships, acquire more intellectual properties, and explore new revenue models. Additionally, they sought to increase the app's capabilities by incorporating synced animations and smart TV integration. 

Since its time on "Shark Tank," Novel Effect has maintained a strong presence. The app is currently available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play. It holds high ratings on both platforms, with parents and teachers noting the positive effect that the app has had on their kids' engagement level, particularly those with special needs. Additionally, its library of content has also been praised for its variety, with a number of books even available in different languages. 

While Novel Effect can be used for free, doing so limits your soundscape and story options. Different subscription plans exist depending on your needs. These include individual plans for families that go for either $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year, and an educator plan for $49.99 a year. There are also larger plan options available for school districts and libraries that vary in duration. On its website, you can also find information and resources regarding remote learning, regular reading challenges, and events. The company also sells an array of merchandise and accessories.  

Over the years, Novel Effect has had some notable press appearances, being featured in media outlets such as Mashable, BBC, Forbes, and Today to name a few. The app has also received numerous awards and accolades from organizations such as Parent's Choice, American Association of School Librarians, the Webbys, and Cynopsis. 

As our youth becomes more reliant on technology than ever before, it's becoming more challenging to keep the magic of reading alive. Thankfully, Novel Effect has shown how parents and educators can use tech to bring a new life to stories, helping keep this age-old tradition alive and thriving in the modern day. But even with an expansive content library, positive reception, and an appearance on a hit primetime reality program under its belt, Novel Effect still has new chapters to write. 

Founders Matt and Melissa Hammersley continue building strategic partnerships with major brands such as Chick-fil-A, increasing their app's compatibility with the likes of Chromebook and other tech platforms, and exploring new entertainment avenues in which to incorporate voice-first technology. However, through it all, the team's core goal of keeping the tradition of story time alive has never waned. 

In April 2025, the husband wife duo brought this message to the forefront through the release of their own book, "Rock Your Read Aloud: Sparking Curiosity and Confidence in Little Readers." Made for teachers, librarians, and others who regularly work with children, the book goes in-depth on the positive effects that read alouds have on youth development and academic performance. Describing the feeling of getting the published book on LinkedIn, Melissa Hammersley commented, "We've gotten tons of book mail over the years, but today's boxes hit a bit differently for me and Matthew Hammersley. Excited to finally hold these and turn their pages, and cannot wait to share Rock Your Read Aloud with parents and educators!"