Oral care is important and should be given more attention in daily life. But now you can do it on the go with FunkkOFF! This small device is a combination of a toothbrush and toothpaste. Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell pitched their business on Shark Tank and landed a deal with Robert Herjavec. Today, FunkkOFF! is worth an estimated $4 million.
Founder
Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell of Dana Point, California, have been friends since 7th grade. Sonia has over 25 years of brand marketing experience working for multiple Fortune 100 consumer product companies.
Flynn received a degree in Consumer Economics from the University of Delaware in 1994. Joel began his career in finance as a banker and stockbroker at Bank of America.
Her entrepreneurial journey began in 1999 when she founded LeadersUnlimited, which was later acquired by FinanceU.com. She worked at JSF Consulting for seven years before launching her second startup, Girls on the Run Orange County.
FunkkOFF Founder
In 2010, Joelle attended a wine tasting and she always carried a toothbrush with her to remove wine stains from her teeth. This was inconvenient, so when she got home, Joelle built a prototype.
When she finished the product, she needed someone to help her launch it. So, she called Sonya, who had a track record of bringing new products to market. They created a Kickstarter and raised $34,045 from 215 backers to get the product to market.
The two best friends launched FunkkOFF! at the 2021 Dana Point Wine Festival, where they debuted their patented teeth freshener. The compact, two-in-one product features a vegan teether that can be reused up to 30 times.
Appeared on Shark Tank
They initially marketed the product to wine lovers, but customers took to it for overall oral care. It eventually became an on-the-go option and grew to become a signature feature of the brand.
The founders have won numerous awards for their inventions, but they don’t want to stop there. Joel and Sonya are planning to launch a line of portable beauty products.
Joel applied to be on Shark Tank twice and was rejected both times. In 2022, the producers of Shark Tank found the company on social media and invited them to be on the show. The ladies gave a spirited and entertaining presentation.
After Shark Tank
After appearing on the show, the founders saw a surge in orders. FunkkOFF! is a simple yet unique product that solves a problem. It’s perfect for people who drink coffee and wine regularly but are concerned about their teeth getting whiter. In an interview with Darden Report Online, Sonya revealed that the show has opened up opportunities around the world.
Currently, they sell their original teeth whitening device on Amazon and their website, FunkkOFF.com. Most of the revenue comes directly from consumers, but they now have 56 locations in the United States, most of which are on the East Coast. FunkkOFF retails for $22 and can be purchased in bags or bundles. Although the product has 8 patents, knockoffs will begin to appear online.
The product has a lifespan of about 30 uses, which should attract a lot of repeat orders. The FunkkOFF! site has 28 reviews with an average rating of 4.9 stars. The company is valued at $4 million, and sales should grow 50% this year, barring production issues.
refer to:
https://funkkoff.com/pages/store-locatorhttps://patch.com/california/lagunaniguel-danapoint/woman-owned-business-debuts-product-dana-point-wine-festival
Categories: Shark Tank
Source: svlsf.edu.vn