Samantha Coxe pitches Flaus, her sustainably made electric flosser, in Shark Tank episode 1522, the Season 15 Finale. Coxe, who was in mergers and acquisitions at the law firm of Skadden Arps before she quit to work on Flaus full time, is a big proponent of electric toothbrushes. The problem was, she never flossed. She wanted to create something that could floss teeth the way an electric toothbrush worked.
While still working full time, she made hundreds of 3D printed prototypes – this was mostly during the Covid-19 pandemic. When she completed a successful IndieGoGo Campaign that raised $270,611 in June of 2021, she quit her job to work on Flaus full time. They shipped completed products to backers in August 2022. On top of the IndieGoGo money, she’s raised another $3.3 million.
As for the flosser, Time Magazine dubbed it one of the best inventions of 2023. The floss heads are made from biodegradable and compostable plastic so they won’t hurt the environent. It creates 18,000 sonic vibrations per minute and moves the floss side-to-side. Studies show electric flossers are better than manual flossing. Flaus is cordless, portable and charges in a USB port. It will set you back $119 and it comes with 45 recyclable floss heads. Replacement heads cost $19 for a pack of 90. If you want to buy Flaus for $99, simply subscribe and they’ll automatically ship 90 replacement heads every 90 days. Coxe likely wants a Shark to help her scale quickly.
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Flaus Shark Tank Recap
Samantha enters the Shark Tank seeking $250,000 for 5% of her company. She says there’s one question everyone dreads when they go to the dentist: “have you been flossing?” Samantha always answers “of course,” even though the last time she flossed was 6 months ago. Dentists know when you’re lying though. Only 30% of Americans floss daily because traditional flossing sucks. It’s painful, time-consuming, difficult and gross. That’s why she invented Flaus.
Flaus is the world’s first electric flosser that makes flossing as easy as using your electric toothbrush. Simply snap on a recyclable floss head, power up and select your favorite speed setting of up to 18,000 sonic vibrations per minute. It moves quickly and easily between tight teeth. The ergonomic design allows you to comfortably reach your molars without having to put your hand in your mouth. She ask which Shark wants to ditch the floss and join up with Flaus.
Samples and Questions
The Sharks examine their samples and try it out. Daymond thinks it’s cool. Candace likes the peppermint flavor. The Flaus kit costs $99 and costs $10 to make. The gross margin is 75% on the kit which comes with the Flaus device, a charger and 45 floss heads. Every 3 months, customers receive a baggy of 90 floss heads for $15 if they choose to subscribe. They only sell direct to consumer. In the last 12 months, they’ve done $900,000 in sales, $300,000 of which is gross profit. The company has a loss for the year due to R&D but will be profitable next year.
She tells the Sharks about her successful IndieGoGo campaign then discusses her background. She tells them she was a lawyer in mergers and aquisitions and went to a dentist appointment. A week before the appointment, she started vigorously flossing. When she got in the dentist chair, she lied about flossing regularly and there was blood everywhere. She had 9 cavitites! She thought she hates flossing but loves her electric toothbrush, so she went looking for one. When she couldn’t find one, she started thinking.
Feeling Flossy
Kevin says there are 2 behemoths in the “vibrating instrument space.” He wants to know how she’ll compete with them because she’s the “floss cockroach” right now. She says patents will protect her. There are 3 issued and 2 pending. Customer acquisition cost is $38. The next product she’s developing is Flaus Kids to get kids to floss more. She’s excited about potential licensing with Flaus Kids.
To date, the company has raised a little over $3.5 million. The last valuation was at $8 million. They have $1 million in the bank. At this point, Lori says she likes her floss picks. She thinks it may be a “better mousetrap” for some people, but it’s not an investment for her; she’s out. Mark clears the deck and says it’s a great product, but it’s not in his wheelhouse; he’s out.
Candace wants to know the long term vision for the company and Samantha says she wants to create the “oral beauty space.” She says somewhere between oral care and beauty, there is a “white space” where people spend money to accessorize their oral health.
Who’s In?
Kevin says he’s impressed with Samantha and the product, but he doesn’t like her deal. He says he can reduce her customer acquisition costs through his millions of followers. Kevin offers $250,000 and says he wants it all to go to customer acquisition. He wants 5% plus a royalty of $2.50 per unit until he recoups $750,000, then it goes away. Candace says its a bad offer and she doesn’t want to siphon off cash with a royalty. She says she’s betting on the long term vision for success and she believes in Samantha.
Candace offers $250,000 for 8% of the company. She says she’s built brands that people are loyal to. She’ll offer operational support, strategic support and emotional support. Kevin modifies his offer to $250,000 for 3% plus the existing royalty offer. Daymond says he can accelerate the licensing angle and offers $250,000 for 10%. Samantha counters with $300,000 for 8% and Candace stands firm at $250,000. Samantha asks if Daymond and Candace will join forces and Daymond says he doesn’t think they have complimentary skills. When Daymond says he doesn’t want to team with Candace, Samantha turns to her and says “Candace, you have a deal.”
Flaus Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show. In the immediate aftermath of the original air date, the company completely sold out. In June, 2024, a month after the original air date, they were selling on a “pre-order” basis and offering a 20% discount. At this time, there is no evidence the deal with Candace closed.
The Shark Tank Blog will follow-up on Flaus & Samantha Coxe as more details become available.
