In season 11 of Shark Tank, the cast witnessed one of the most unique pitches presented on the show. 11-year-old Cassidy Crowley, along with her mom Lori, introduced a 2-in-1 teether toy and spoon for babies and toddlers. It was called The Baby Toon, and it got a deal with one of the Sharks. As of 2023, The Baby Toon is worth $1 million.
About the Founders
Cassidy was the one who came up with the idea of making the baby product. Lori was her primary supporter, but her father, Will, and sisters Lei and Emily also helped out from time to time. Their family resides in Honolulu, Hawaii.
At the age of seven, while in first grade, Cassidy participated in the Honolulu District science fair and she was tasked with discovering and resolving a common problem.
The entrepreneurial prodigy noticed the development of her little sister. She took note of how the baby was becoming more independent and was starting to feed herself.
Establishing the Company
She was worried about hard spoons that could hurt a baby’s gums, so she designed an item that was 100% silicone. This also turned out to be the perfect material for making a baby-proof toy.
Young Crowley thought of a product that would be useful for an infant until it matured into a toddler. She came up with The Baby Toon, a multi-purpose tool that’s both a teething toy and a feeding handle.
She got help from her parents to turn her idea into a real business. They all worked together to sell their product for $15 each. However, Cassidy was becoming too busy for her age, and she wanted to change that.
Shark Tank Appearance
In 2019, Cassidy and Lori entered the tank, offering 50% of their company for $50,000. Cassidy wanted a shark to buy out half of the business so she could concentrate on school and being a kid.
The sharks were immediately taken aback by Cassidy’s commercial drive at such a young age and by how ground-breaking her concept was. Although all of them were clearly impressed, not everyone made an offer to the child and her mother.
The Queen of QVC, Lori Greiner, on the other hand, saw the potential of the startup. Thus, she took on the initial offer of $50,000 for 50%, and the deal was finalized.
After Shark Tank
After getting what they wanted, the Crowleys have done very well to grow the business. Though Lori owns half of the firm, Cassidy is still considered the current CEO of The Baby Toon.
The business got a licensing deal with Munchkin Baby Products and is sold on Amazon.com. Because of this, their multi-functional spoon became one of the top products featured on Munchkin’s website. It has also become available on Amazon and various retailers in Hawaii and the United States.
They started selling for $6 each with a 50% profit margin, and the company’s valuation went up ten times after Shark Tank. Now, the company is valued at $1 million.
