In Season 12 of Shark Tank, a young entrepreneur pitched his company Flipstick, but was he able to make a deal? Where is the company now? Here’s the update.
Smartphones are versatile devices that help users accomplish a great many things. Whether they want to watch their favorite movie or record a dance for TikTok, they can accomplish it all with their phone. However, it typically requires an investment in additional peripherals to enhance their experience. Recording a video requires a tripod, and nobody wants to hold their phone through the entirety of a feature film — enter Fliptstik.
Flipstik’s founder, Akeem Shannon, spoke with his uncle, an engineer for NASA, one night and learned about a different kind of adhesive the space organization developed in the ’70s. Based on geckos’ feet, Synthetic Setae is a paper-thin reusable adhesive that holds up to 2 pounds and can stick to any surface. Akeem grew interested in this adhesive and devised a way to use it with phones. Have an idea for a new dance while walking the town? Stick it to the side of a wall for a quick recording. Need to have an impromptu meeting over Zoom? Stick your phone to the car’s dashboard without a phone mount.
Akeem took the idea of Flipstik to Kickstarter, where he raised $10,310 in 2018. He went on to win the 2019 CES Retail Pitch competition and garnered attention from Snoop Dog and Diddy. Their praise of Flipstik helped him earn a spot on “Shark Tank,” where Akeem hoped to elevate his product to the next level.What happened to Flipstik on Shark Tank?
Not only did Akeem enter “Shark Tank” wearing a makeshift astronaut suit, signifying his product’s origins, but he also presented Flipstik to the Sharks with a rap. What caught the Sharks’ attention was the product demo. Akeem used three of the dirtiest household items (hair, sand, and spaghetti) to dirty up his product and prove it still worked as advertised. However, the sharks weren’t keen on his offer after hearing the sales numbers.
The Flipstik entrepreneur initially asked for $100,000 for a 20% stake in his business.
