Dietary restrictions can stop us from enjoying tasty-looking snacks. Thankfully, we now have healthy treats like Funky Mello, a vegan marshmallow creme that is free of sugar, meat substances, and most allergens. Founders Delisa and Zach Harper, recently pitched their product on Shark Tank and got a deal with Daymond John. Today, Funky Mello is worth an estimated $500,000.
The Founders
Delisa and Zach Harper are a husband-and-wife team that worked in separate fields before becoming entrepreneurs. They met at a music festival and instantly made a connection due to their shared passion for beats and good food.
Before Funky Mello, Delisa was an event marketing specialist at companies such as HP, OpenText, and Search Engine Journal. Zach worked in the pharmaceuticals field, mostly he held positions as a manager and sales representative.
Although they were die-hard foodies, the Harpers had limitations that prevented them from enjoying their favorite childhood sweets. The pair tried healthy snacks but found them bland and lifeless.
Founding Funky Mello
Their disappointing experience inspired them to create marshmallow creme out of chickpeas. It’s considered to be the most underrated allergen-friendly ingredient and according to the founders, the product is free from the top eight allergens.
They loved the outcome and began selling at local farmers’ markets. The lovebirds established the business six months into their relationship. The products developed strong traction locally but they wanted to scale nationally.
In 2021, Delisa and Zach launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $10,500 from 168 backers. Production and shipping started in September 2021, and the progress was lightning-fast. 76% of pre-orders were sent out in a month.
After Shark Tank
Despite filming the episode around September 2023, the couple only found out a few weeks behorehand that it would! This didn’t give them a lot of time to prepare for a huge increase in sales. The couple delivered a strong pitch and came across as genuine people.
The deal with Daymond should have closed within six months. They should have made at least an extra $50,000 in sales in March 2024 from the publicity. You can grab a Funky Mello on their website or Walmart’s online store.
They can also be purchased in-store at over 100 Whole Foods locations. On special occasions, the business partners with Sprouts Farmers Markets. Regular bundles cost between $20.97 to $33.96. However, everything is currently on sale on FunkyMello.com, where they sell merchandise items, like shirts and mugs.
The company has a decent following on Facebook with a rating of 4.9 stars from 24 reviews. It’s a small number that will surely get a big boost, along with their annual sales. The global healthy snacks market was valued at $74.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow by 6% in 2030.
