🍌 A Million Dollar Banana

Hey!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Today, we are looking at the companies from Season 14, Episode 2.

• 🧶 The Woobles

• 🍌 Banana Phone

• 🦃 Turbo Trusser

• 👜 Stealth Bros and Co.

The winner of last week’s poll was… Pizza Pack! Be sure to scroll to the end and vote on this week’s poll!

Let’s get it!

🧶 The Woobles

Justine Tiu and Adrian Zhang turned their love for amigurumi into The Woobles, a crochet kit brand designed for beginners. They asked for $250,000 for 5% equity and walked away with a juicy deal: $450,000 for 6% from Lori Greiner and Mark Cuban.

Their kits include yarn, hooks, stuffing, and easy-to-follow video tutorials, even catering to left-handed crafters. With strong margins (about $3 to produce and $30 retail) and 90% of sales coming direct-to-consumer, they had the Sharks hooked.

Since the episode aired, The Woobles have kept stitching up success. The deal didn’t officially close, but that hasn’t slowed them down. They’ve landed on Walmart shelves, launched licensed kits featuring brands like Harry Potter and Minecraft, and reached around $3 million in annual revenue.

🍌 Banana Phone

Max Brown and Brian Brunsing brought their Banana Phone to the tank. If you’ve seen the episode, you’ll remember it. It’s a bright-yellow, Bluetooth-enabled handset shaped like a banana that lets you make calls, play music, and even support gorilla conservation.

They asked for $250,000 for 10% equity, citing $1.6 million in lifetime sales and $540K in revenue the previous year. Despite the laughs and clever branding, none of the Sharks bit, mainly due to concerns about it being a novelty product and the founders staying part-time.

After the show, Banana Phone still saw a strong boost in visibility and sales. By the end of 2022, the company had crossed $1 million in annual revenue and was acquired in 2023—reportedly for more than double its net income.

One founder stepped away after the sale, while the other stayed on to keep the fruit-shaped fun alive. And yes, they’re still donating to help save gorillas.

🦃 Turbo Trusser

Brian Halasinski and Kirk Hyust pitched Turbo Trusser, asking for $100,000 for 10% equity. Their stainless steel gadget makes trussing poultry fast and easy, selling for $14.99 with a production cost of around $3.

With about $90,000 in early sales and a cluck-filled pitch (yes, they wore chicken costumes), they landed a deal with Kevin O’Leary for $100,000 in exchange for 33% equity and a $1 royalty per unit sold.

After the show, Turbo Trusser saw sales climb to nearly $290,000 by the end of 2022. The product rolled out to over 80 stores across the U.S. and Canada, expanded with new sizes for turkeys and Cornish hens, and even launched a poultry rub.

Kevin featured it in his Chef Wonderful brand promotions, including an appearance on Good Morning America. Although they lost an estimated $300,000 due to knockoffs on Amazon, they took action and are continuing to grow the business.

👜 Stealth Bros and Co.

Braxton Fleming pitched Stealth Bros & Co. with a mission to help trans men and others discreetly travel with medical supplies, like hormone-injection gear, using stylish luxury dopp kits.

He asked for $200,000 for 15% equity and landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban: $100,000 in cash and $100,000 as a line of credit for 20% equity.

After the show, Stealth Bros & Co. made history as the first Black transgender-owned business to secure a Shark Tank deal. Inventory quickly sold out, and their Sharps Shuttles are now stocked in about 3,000 CVS stores across the country.

The company has since launched new products like a duffle bag with a built-in medication compartment, a sharps-disposal backpack, and trans pride-themed dopp kits.

That’s all for this week! What’s your favorite company from Season 14 Episode 2?

Vote below and I’ll share the winner next week.

I’ll be back next Wednesday!