Whatever Happened To FunkkOFF After Shark Tank?

"I always wanted to be on TV ... like an actress," recalled Joelle Flynn of her childhood dreams during a 2023 interview. "I'm one of four girls, and my mom was the main entrepreneur in the family. She ran a [real estate] business brokerage, [like] a mini-a** Barbara Corcoran, I guess, if we could 'Shark Tank' it." As she chuckled at her own joke, she explained how her mother instilled in her a belief that should she work hard enough, she could be the President of the United States. As she grew older, it wasn't the flashy titles that stuck with Flynn: "From actress to president of the United States ... I never really wanted to work for anyone else."

But her mother was only one of two women who helped Flynn achieve her dreams; she met the second in seventh grade. Like Flynn, Sonia Hounsell had two very different childhood aspirations that would often manifest in the games she played with her sister. "We would play 'Charlie's Angels,' and then we would play this other game where we had this business; it was a business that helped people get jobs ... so that was our day job. And our night job was 'Charlie's Angels.'" Hounsell and Flynn met as two peculiarly industrious middle schoolers, and the rest is history.

Even as Housnell began a lucrative career as a marketing consultant (launching a successful gum brand) and Flynn became the youngest stockbroker in Bank of America's history, the pair remained friends. In 2010, they began developing FunkkOFF! as a solution for on-the-go dental cleaning, attracting the attention of "Shark Tank" twice before they finally landed a spot on Season 14.

On "Shark Tank," FunkkOFF! seeks $250,000 in exchange for 5%, imputing a massive $5 million valuation. Its flagship product is the TeethRefresher, supposedly the world's first and only two-in-one reusable handheld teeth cleaner, with a brush and tooth-gel dispenser built in (as well as a small mirror).

Though the Sharks are impressed by the product and unanimously agree that eliminating "funk" is a problem worth solving, the business' size is too small to elicit interest (it certainly doesn't help that the company is $130,000 in the red). Robert Herjavec is the first to go out on these grounds, followed closely by Lori Greiner, who applauds the name and the eight patents the company has acquired. Guest Shark Emma Grede and Kevin O'Leary take issue with the lack of sales. Finally, Mark Cuban goes out over a disagreement with their marketing strategy: "Your marketing misses the basket by 5 feet."

However, as they turn to leave, Robert unexpectedly begins speaking: "Every year I go home, and my beautiful wife inevitably finds a product and says, 'Why didn't you invest in this?'" He knows FunkkOFF! would be one of those products. In a rare move, he chooses to take a flyer and offers the company a $250,000-for-12% offer. The entrepreneurs immediately accepted.

FunkkOFF! left a bad taste in the mouths of "Shark Tank" viewers. On the r/SharkTank subreddit, the general consensus was that the product was too expensive and not innovative enough to compete, even in terms of eco-friendliness.

"I can't imagine anyone at 7-11 thinking they want a portable toothbrush like this, and spending $20+ on it," wrote u/admiralvic, to which another user responded that they wouldn't spend more than $5 on a similar product. In multiple threads, people compared FunkkOFF! unfavorably to Colgate Wisps, disposable toothbrushes about the size of a toothpick; packs of 24 are sold for less than $5.

Of course, the Sharks themselves drew plenty of criticism for their handling of the pitch. "Why is Mark [Cuban] telling them to sell it to waiters and sommeliers," reads the top comment, posted by u/WavesRKewl. "That's an awful idea. You really think someone wants their waiter to come up and sell them a toothbrush?" A majority of the other Shark-related comments were directed at Robert Herjavec, with posts ranging from criticizing the investor to questioning if "Shark Tank" is scripted. "I don't see this deal following through," wrote u/Bochhhhh. u/Alternative_Towel510 responded, "Agree[d]. I think the producers scripted this last-minute deal and Robert will drop out when he sees the books."

Despite naysayers online, Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell were optimistic after their "Shark Tank" appearance. According to an interview with business educator and content creator Joe Pardo in 2023 (via YouTube), they experienced the "Shark Tank Effect" many have pointed out over the years. Unfortunately, they sold out of inventory almost immediately and didn't have the capital on hand to restock right away.

They also said that they've heard from a number of countries interested in having the product shipped, as well as sports agents and teams, coffee shops, wineries, and drug stores. Personally, Flynn felt like she had experienced a certain loss of privacy that extended even to her attempts to use dating apps (though she seemed more amused than genuinely upset).

As for their deal with Robert Herjavec, neither woman confirmed whether or not it had closed at the time of the interview. But again, they seemed positive about their future with him, with Hounsell saying, "We're really excited to work with Robert."

As of writing, FunkkOFF! is still in business — though it doesn't appear to have evolved much since it appeared on "Shark Tank" earlier this year. On the company's website, consumers can purchase one of the limited-reuse TeethRefreshers, available in white, blue, and black. The product can be bought in pairs for $39 or singles for $22. On their website, most of the reviews rate the product 5 out of 5 stars.

On Amazon, where the TeethRefreshers are sold at the same price point, reviews are more mixed at 3.5 out of 5 stars. While plenty of consumers compliment the product's convenience and effectiveness, there's more criticism overall. "Got one and it cracked on the side," wrote one customer. "They let me exchange it but the replacement one cracked on the side as well. Just normal storage in a pocket in my purse. I like the product concept but the container is garbage." Other users expressed similar disappointments regarding its frail durability.

Many users also expressed issues getting the toothpaste out of its compartment and receiving toothpaste that appeared defective. A customer who bought the product for their wife wrote, "The toothpaste came out totally liquid and dripped down the case," while another wrote that it had leaked out of a crack on the side of the container. Multiple users echoed issues of leaking gel, with one user concluding, "Completely unrealistic to think I would put this in my purse, even in a [Z]iploc, because it would make such a mess."

With no firm details about the aforementioned deals entertained in the aftermath of its "Shark Tank" appearance, it's likely FunkkOFF! will focus on managing its potential new business relationships — including with Robert Herjavec. It's still unknown if the deal with Herjavec closed, though it's not unheard of for a "Shark Tank" deal to take between 6 and 12 months to finalize.

Looking ahead, FunkkOFF! plans to expand its product line. Joelle Flynn sees the company as a lifestyle brand focused on dental wellness. She envisions producing TeethRefreshers in a wider variety of colors and with the capability to be refilled with FunkkOFF! brand tooth-gel. She also mentioned to Joe Pardo the possibility of FunkkOFF! reentering the "Shark Tank" to pitch another product — though it's unclear how that would work, with Herjavec already in the process of owning 12% of the company.

Before any of this can happen, FunkkOFF! seems to have serious manufacturing issues to address. The reviews citing cracking products indicate the TeethRefresher isn't yet built to go in a handbag or glovebox, which essentially defeats its purpose entirely. In the immediate future, FunkkOFF! likely needs to rethink the materials they use to make the TeethRefreshers.