Whatever Happened To Buzzy After Shark Tank?

Some inventions definitely stir up the blood of the investors circling the pool on ABC's "Shark Tank." A prime example of that is the still-successful Buzzy, a device created by emergency room pediatrician Dr. Amy Baxter. Baxter was inspired by her young son's needle phobia to find a pain solution for those afraid of injections and those who have to frequently use needles. 

She asked the Sharks for $500 thousand in exchange for 5% of her company, boasting that, as of the episode's filming, 1,500 Buzzys had already been sold to hospitals nationwide. She projected it would make $2.5 million in sales that year. Baxter's expertise as a doctor and high profit margin intrigued the Sharks, but ultimately didn't net her a business partner. While The Sharks did make some offers, they thought the product wouldn't sell well to home consumers and presented a few counter offers. Baxter turned The Sharks down and went on to pursue the product's growth on her own terms. 

While The Sharks didn't bite on Baxter's terms to invest in Buzzy, the device has gone on to great success without them. The brand has grown, offering other products and even saw a company-wide name change to something less vague. Even now, the brand is continuing to grow, breaking ground in the very same storefronts The Sharks thought the product had no place being.

Dr. Amy Baxter was driving home from work, she realized that the vibration from her steering wheel was making her hands numb. Baxter would later use a back vibrator and a bag of frozen peas to concept test the first Buzzy. The finished device combines a cooling pack and a plastic vibrating device, which numbs 15 to 80 percent of injection site pain. Baxter subsequently patented her product, hired a small staff to produce them, and ran clinical trials to prove that it works.

Buzzy remains a successful brand. The company — which has rebranded under the umbrella name Pain Care Labs — now boasts an additional product, the VibraCool. VibraCool relieves muscle aches using the same general principles as the Buzzy. Pain Care Labs also offers multiple resources for health care professionals hoping to use their products in the field. So in spite of the Sharks' inability to land a deal, it looks like Buzzy is doing just fine, though it's not quite as profitable as the most successful "Shark Tank" product of all time.

Since appearing on "Shark Tank," Buzzy continues to boast annual sales of $1 million. And just as Dr. Baxter hoped they would during her appearance on the program, Buzzy has begun to move its product into brick and mortar stores. It's now being sold in select CVS Pharmacies. On top of that, the product has managed to make its way into Amazon's storefront. That's one heck of a success story — and one the Sharks definitely missed out on.