Oral care is important and should be given more attention on a daily basis. But now, you can also do it on the go with FunkkOFF! The compact device is a hybrid of a toothbrush and toothpaste. Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell pitched their business on Shark Tank and got a deal with Robert Herjavec. Today, FunkkOFF! is worth an estimated $4 million.
The Founders
Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell hail from Dana Point, California and have been best friends since the 7th grade. Sonia has 25+ years experience in brand marketing experience and has worked at various Fortune 100 consumer packaged goods companies.
In 1994, Flynn earned a consumer economics degree from the University of Delaware. Joelle started her career in finance, working as a banker and a stockbroker at Bank of America.
Her entrepreneurial journey started in 1999 when she founded LeadersUnlimited, which was acquired by FinanceU.com. She worked at JSF Consulting for seven years before launching her second startup, Girls on the Run Orange County.
Founding FunkkOFF
In 2010, Joelle attended a wine-tasting event, where she always carried a toothbrush to remove wine stains from her teeth. It wasn’t convenient and when she got home, Joelle made a prototype.
When she finalized the product, she needed someone to help her launch it. So, she called Sonia, who has a track record of bringing new products to market. They created a Kickstarter and raised $34,045 from 215 backers to bring the product to life.
The two besties launched FunkkOFF! with their patented Teeth Refreshers at the Dana Point Wine Festival in 2021. The small, two-in-one product featured vegan tooth gel and could be reused up to 30 times.
Getting on Shark Tank
They initially marketed it to wine enthusiasts, but customers used them for overall oral care. It eventually became an on-the-go option, which slowly turned into the brand’s identity.
The founders have received numerous awards for their invention, but they didn’t want to stop there. Joelle and Sonia are planning to release a line of on-the-go beauty products.
Joelle applied to Shark Tank twice but got rejected on both occasions. In 2022, Shark Tank producers found the company on social media and asked them to pitch on the show. The ladies gave an energetic and entertaining pitch.
After Shark Tank
After featuring on the show, the founders experienced a surge in orders. FunkkOFF! is a simple yet unique product that solves a problem. It’s perfect for regular coffee and wine drinkers who worry about their pearly whites. In an interview with Darden Report Online, Sonia revealed the show has opened up opportunities globally.
Currently, they sell their original teeth-whitening device Amazon and their website, FunkkOFF.com. The majority of revenue is direct to consumers but they are now in 56 locations in the US with the majority of them on the east coast. FunkkOFF retails for $22 and can be bought in packs or a bundle. Although the product has 8 patents, copycat versions will start popping up online.
The fact the product life is around 30 uses should drive a lot of repeat orders. FunkkOFF! has a 4.9 average star rating from 28 reviews on its website. The company is valued at $4 million and as long as there aren’t any production issues, they should grow sales by 50% this year.
References:
https://funkkoff.com/pages/store-locator
https://patch.com/california/lagunaniguel-danapoint/woman-owned-business-debuts-product-dana-point-wine-festival
