BYU men’s soccer player Garrett Gee, founder and CEO of successful mobile-app Scan, pitched his business idea to the hit television series Shark Tank on Oct. 11.
Gee, from Alpine, Utah, started Scan while playing soccer and studying at BYU two years ago. Scan quickly proved to be extremely popular, reaching over 50 million downloads worldwide while raising over $7 million from Google ventures, Facebook, Lady Gaga and other Silicon Valley investors according to a BYU men’s soccer press release.
Garrett Gee, a BYU soccer player, is presenting his Scan app on Shark Tank. (Photo illustration by Chris Bunker)
Shark Tank is a business-themed show on “the search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer,” according the abc.go.com. The Sharks, self described as tough, self-made, multi-millionaire and billionaire tycoons, feature a lineup of Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary and Daymond John.
Scan recognizes QR codes and certain 1D barcodes such as UPC, EAN and ISBN according to Gee’s official site, scan.me. Scan supports the most popular codes with the goal of giving faster and reliable service.
Scan codes help mobile users connect the real world to the web with the use of any smartphone or device, enabling users to shop and gather information depending on the source of the code.
Gee, a junior majoring in ethics of education, currently resides in Provo, Utah, with his wife Jessica and is a captain of the BYU men’s soccer team, which went 9-8-3 last season.
BYU purchased the team in May 2003 and is the first university to purchase a franchise in the USL Premier Development League (PDL). This level is considered higher competition than NCAA soccer according to the BYU men’s soccer website.
“In all my years of doing this, we have never had something like this,” said BYU men’s soccer head coach Christopher Watkins. ”This is great for Garrett and for the team.”
Gee, an outside midfielder, continues to be the CEO of Scan while managing his responsibilities as an athlete and student.
“Honestly, I’ve never been so nervous in my life, “ Gee said on his blog. “I’d much rather go back to swimming with the sharks of Tahiti. I’ve worked a lot with investors, but the Shark Tank is no ordinary board room.”