Dude Wipes is the latest example of a Chicago startup reaping the rewards of an appearance on Shark Tank.
On last week's episode, Shark Tank featured Dude Wipes in a recap segment that highlighted the startup's growth after it appeared on the show in 2015. Before going on Shark Tank, Dude Wipes was doing $250,000 in revenue. Since the show, the startup has grossed $3.2 million in sales, the company explained in the video.
Dude Wipes also landed a retail deal with Walgreens, getting its flushable sanitary wipes for men in 4,300 stores across the US, co-founder Ryan Meegan told Chicago Inno over email.
From $250,000 to $3.2 Million in sales, @DUDEwipes has become a national success! #SharkTank pic.twitter.com/3ikYtzpKtb
— Shark Tank (@ABCSharkTank) April 11, 2017
Today Dude Wipes is in more than 8,000 total stores, such as Kroger, Meijer, Jewel and Target, in addition to Walgreens.
In a season 7 episode of Shark Tank, Mark Cuban agreed to invest $300,000 for 25% equity in Dude Wipes. Since then, the company has grown considerably. In addition to new retail partnerships, the company has launched an Amazon Dash button, filmed an online video ad featuring Cuban, and recently launched a new product: Dude Shower Body Wipes.
"The overall Shark Tank experience and partnership with Mark and his team has been huge for our brand," Meegan said. "The association with Shark Tank and Mark has done wonders for exposure and credibility. Mark and his team have helped in many facets along the way with advice, resources and introductions to new retail relationships."
Dude Wipes isn't the only Chicago startup to see a Shark Tank bump. Rent Like a Champion, a home sharing platform focused on small town sporting events, also appeared on the show in 2015 and got a $200,000 investment from Cuban and Chris Sacca. Rent Like a Champion did $2.3 million in revenue the year prior to Shark Tank, and today has done nearly $13 million in lifetime rentals, doubling the number of homes on its site since the Shark Tank Episode aired.
Spikeball, another Chicago startup, was doing $1 million in annual revenue in 2013, and after a 2015 Shark Tank appearance saw annual revenue of $13 million in 2016.
Dude Wipes says it plans to increase its retail presence, and it's launching a Dude Face Wipes product in May.
Image via Dude Wipes
