No Limbits founder and CEO Erica Cole says her adaptive clothing company has faced many of the challenges startups across the globe have had to contend with in recent years — even after grabbing the publicity of an investment-winning appearance on “Shark Tank.”
Still, she says her 2022 appearance on the ABC program, where her company won investments from billionaire Mark Cuban and guest judge Emma Grede, changed the trajectory for No Limbits. The company makes clothing for amputees, wheelchair users and has expanded to other garments for specific disabilities. Cole expects it to clear $1 million in sales this year.
Distribution and supply chain issues have been major headaches over the last year, Cole said. Covid disrupted the supply chain, and that continued into 2022. She had to find manufacturers that could keep shipping products as her company grew. No Limbits now has outsourced manufacturing to Turkey, Portugal, El Salvador and a small amount in China, she said.
The other change for the company has been the addition of new product lines. No Limbits introduced clothing for people with sensory issues and leggings for people with limited dexterity. And it is set to launch a coat with magnets instead of buttons and a hoodie for people with sensory issues.
It’s all been part of Cole’s efforts to learn and adapt. She had no business experience prior to starting the company in 2019 and had to lean on her mentors and employees — now eight in total — as the company has grown. She said that access to Cuban and Grede has been invaluable. Cuban has invested in a huge portfolio of companies, and Grede, a fashion entrepreneur, is building a clothing line with Khloé Kardashian.
“[Grede’s company is] exactly where we want to go and has been where we are currently,” Cole said.
The company was founded in St. Louis, but Cole relocated to Richmond after participating in the Lighthouse Labs accelerator.
She does not believe her company is too limited in the adaptive clothing market. The global market for adaptive clothing is expected to grow to $400 billion worldwide by 2026.
“There is something really beautiful in owning a niche,” Cole said. “We are so early into this space, and we believe we have an opportunity to be that market and thought leader in terms of clothing for people with disabilities. There are far more people who can use our products than you might expect.”
The company sees opportunities in children ages 10 through adult. A lot of companies have built adaptive clothing for infants and young children, and a market exists for adults. But no one has tried to penetrate the older children’s market. The company has already launched a shirt for children in that age group with sensory issues, and Cole wants to build out that product line.
Besides the $100,000 from Cuban and Grede, No Limbits has also received investments from D.C. social impact startup incubator Halcyon and Richmond venture firm Trolley Ventures. It has raised $1.8 million since its founding in 2019.
Cole said her company plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign in the fall to launch a new product line. The company was originally started through a similar effort that raised $14,236.
“We are going back to where it all started,” Cole said.
