Flipstik Shark Tank Update – Shark Tank Season 12
Akeem Shannon pitched Flipstik, a smartphone kickstand that sticks to almost any surface. The NASA-inspired accessory aimed to make hands-free phone use easier and more convenient.
Akeem Shannon wanted a shark to flip over Flipstik, his smartphone kickstand that adhered to almost any surface, in Shark Tank Season 12, Episode 04. Akeem was a chemical engineering student at Howard University, but he lost his full scholarship.
After coming home to St. Louis, he got a job with Square, a mobile payment processing company. While there, he was in contact with a lot of small businesses, and his entrepreneurial itch began to grow.
One night, he was speaking with his uncle, a NASA engineer, and he learned about a “synthetic setae” adhesive NASA had developed in the 1970s. The adhesive acted like gecko hairs and allowed it to stick to virtually any surface. Akeem made a smartphone kickstand that incorporated this material and allowed users to stick their phones onto almost anything.
Would the Sharks be impressed by his innovative product and help him take it nationwide?
About Flipstik
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Flipstik |
| Founder | Akeem Shannon |
| Industry | Smartphone Accessories |
| Product | Smartphone kickstand with NASA-inspired adhesive |
| Funding (Pre-Shark Tank) | Kickstarter campaign raised $10,310 |
| Investment Asked | $100,000 for 20% equity |
| Deal Status | Deal secured with Lori Greiner |
| Deal Outcome | $100,000 for 25% equity |
| Valuation | $400,000 |
Akeem got Flipstik going with a Kickstarter campaign that raised $10,310 back in 2018. Since then, he had done over $100,000 in sales, and he won the 2019 CES Retail Pitch competition.
The folding kickstand stuck to the back of any smartphone. When users opened the stand, the adhesive material was exposed. It retained adhesion for over 1,000 uses, and when it became less sticky, users could simply rinse it under hot water to reactivate the adhesive.
A Flipstik cost $15 and came in dozens of styles and colors. They were available at kiosks in the St. Louis area and at various fairs that Akeem attended (when not during COVID-19 lockdowns). He wanted to get his patented product nationwide distribution.
Flipstik Shark Tank Pitch
Akeem entered seeking $100,000 for 20% of his business.
Not only did Akeem enter Shark Tank wearing a makeshift astronaut suit, signifying his product’s NASA-inspired origins, but he also presented Flipstik to the Sharks with a self-written rap that entertained them.
He demonstrated the product and what it could do and handed out samples. During the demonstration, Akeem used three of the dirtiest household items, hair, sand, and spaghetti to dirty up the adhesive and prove that it still worked as advertised.
The Sharks enjoyed Akeem’s entertaining pitch but questioned his sales figures of $115,000 over the previous 30 months and just $1,500 in the last month.
Akeem blamed the slow sales on the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining that brick-and-mortar retail locations generated approximately 60% of his business and suffered significant disruptions during that period. As a result, he sought help growing direct-to-consumer sales.
While sales were slim, the margins were huge. Each product cost 58 cents to make and sold for $15. Kevin O’Leary was impressed by the margins but was concerned that the sales numbers did not yet reflect the product’s potential.
What Makes Flipstik Unique?
Flipstik differentiated itself in the smartphone accessory market through a combination of innovative technology and strong margins:
- Used NASA-inspired “Synthetic Setae” adhesive technology.
- Adhered to almost any surface and remained effective for over 1,000 uses.
- Adhesive could be reactivated by simply rinsing it under hot water.
- Had extremely high profit margins, with a manufacturing cost of only 58 cents per unit.
- Was available in multiple colors and styles for different consumers.
Did Flipstik Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
Kevin O’Leary was eager to make a deal and offered Akeem exactly what he asked for: $100,000 for 20% equity.
Lori Greiner began asking additional questions about the business and the product’s future potential. Kevin attempted to avoid a bidding war, but after Akeem continued discussing the opportunity with Lori, Kevin decided to back out.
Lori then offered Akeem $100,000 for 25% equity and emphasized her experience with highly visual consumer products. She believed Flipstik was the type of product she could successfully market to a mass audience.
Mark Cuban also appeared interested in making a deal, but before another offer materialized, Akeem decided to move forward.
Believing Lori was the ideal strategic partner because of her experience and expertise, Akeem accepted Lori Greiner’s offer of $100,000 for 25% equity.
The Sharks praised Flipstik’s unique NASA-inspired adhesive technology, strong profit margins, and mass-market potential, helping Lori’s offer emerge as the winning deal.
Flipstik Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provided updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who had appeared on the Shark Tank TV show. In the two months since this episode aired, Lori had not added Flipstik to her Shark Tank website. That could have meant the deal didn’t close or was still in negotiations.
Either way, it was still too soon to tell. In the week following the initial air date, the company doubled its lifetime sales and added another $100,000 in sales through the holiday season.
As of July 2021, it appeared that the deal with Lori did not close. Akeem finally got his product on Amazon, where it sold briskly. After appearing on the show, Akeem won two $50,000 awards. The first was a $50,000 grant from St. Louis-area nonprofit Arch Grants.
The second was $50,000 in equity-free funding from the inaugural cohort of UMSL Accelerate’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Accelerator. Akeem was also in negotiations with several undisclosed major retailers, which were expected to place Flipstik in several hundred retail locations by Q4 2021 or Q1 2022. As of January 2022, the retail deal had not closed.
In April 2022, Flipstik rolled out in 300 Target stores around the USA. The company later expanded to 338 Target stores nationwide and also sold products through its website.
By the summer of 2022, the products were available in AT&T stores and Pilot Flying J travel centers across the country. In October 2022, Akeem was voted Entrepreneur of the Year at the UMSL Accelerate Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. In December 2022, the company raised $1.15 million from a variety of investors, including Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and former CEO Maxine Clark and others.
The company used the funding to strengthen its marketing capabilities and introduce new products in Q1 2023.
These new products included MagSafe-compatible FlipStiks, which attached the FlipStik material to a magnet that connected to the iPhone 12 and newer models. This eliminated the need for adhesive directly on the phone. They also added finger loops and multiple-angle kickstands for phones.
Over the years, the company expanded its lineup to include products such as Flipstik Pro, FlipStik Grip, MagStik, and updated versions of the original Flipstik.
As of July 2024, annual revenue had reached $5 million and was expected to continue growing through broader distribution.
As of February 2026, Flipstik products were still available through online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. However, product availability appeared limited, with several items out of stock on major retail websites.
While Akeem Shannon continued to identify himself as CEO of Flipstik on LinkedIn, his public focus had increasingly shifted toward motivational speaking and entrepreneurship. Although the company’s long-term status remained unclear, Flipstik had successfully grown from a Kickstarter project into a nationally distributed brand with a reported valuation of approximately $5 million.
Where Can You Buy It?
Flipstik products were available online through Amazon, Walmart, and the company’s official website, although availability might vary by product.
Over the years, Flipstik expanded into major retail locations, including Target stores, AT&T stores, and Pilot Flying J travel centers across the United States.
Customers could also learn more about the brand and its latest products through Flipstik’s social media channels, including Facebook and X.
Posts about Flipstik on Shark Tank Blog
Check out our detailed coverage and see how Akeem Shannon turned a NASA-inspired idea into a multi-million-dollar business.
Quick Summary
- Akeem Shannon introduced Flipstik, a smartphone kickstand that adhered to almost any surface, on Shark Tank.
- Flipstik used a NASA-inspired “synthetic setae” adhesive and had sold over $100,000 worth since its launch.
- Lori Greiner invested $100,000 for 25% equity, impressed by the product’s margins and potential.
Check out other Shark Tank Season 12 Episodes.
Curious about the other businesses featured in Shark Tank Season 12 Episode 4? Explore more updates and see which ideas made a splash in the Tank.
