The Blowzee Shark Tank Update – Shark Tank Season 13
What started as a clever pandemic-era party fix turned into a full-fledged pitch on Shark Tank, as Mark Apelt and Mark Lareau introduced The Blowzee in Season 13.
Mark Apelt and Mark Lareau went looking for an investor for The Blowzee, a spit-free way to blow out birthday candles, in Shark Tank Season 13 Episode 13.
Check out more Shark Tank Season 13 Episodes.
About The Blowzee
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Name | The Blowzee |
| Founders | Mark Apelt and Mark Lareau |
| Industry | Consumer Products, Health and Hygiene |
| Product | A device that blows out birthday candles without spreading germs |
| Deal Status | No Deal |
| Investment Asked | $100,000 for 20% equity |
| Valuation | $500,000 (at the time of the Shark Tank pitch) |
Mark Apelt and Mark Lareau first thought of needing a device while at a kid’s birthday party in January 2020. When it came time to blow out the candles, the sunlight was just right that he and the other parents could see the spittle landing on the birthday cake. They were pretty grossed out.
The two Marks looked for a creative tool to prevent the spit from flying, but they couldn’t find one.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and the duo had a lot of time to think about creating a tool to blow out candles. With the pandemic, there was a compelling reason to as well.
During the pandemic, people resorted to fanning the candles or taking them off the cake one by one and blowing them out.
Now, none of those things will be necessary. Apelt and Lareau each invested $5000 into the business, taking 17 prototypes to get it right.
The Blowzee is a tube with a fan on the end. When you blow in the tube, it activates a sensor that turns on the fan. The air blown into the tube is redirected back at the person blowing on it.
They cost $11.99 and come in any color you want, as long as it’s blue. The business attracted the attention of the New York Post in May 2021.
The night after the story came out, Jimmy Fallon mentioned it on his show, and things blew up. The two Marks likely want a Shark to help blow it up even further.
The Blowzee Shark Tank Recap
Mark Apelt and Mark Lareau entered the Shark Tank seeking $100,000 for 20% of their company. One of them blew out the candles on a cake very moistly, and the Sharks were visibly disgusted when he asked, “Who wants a slice?”
They explained that they always thought blowing out candles on a cake was gross, and pointed out that science shows it increases bacteria on the cake by 1,400%.
They then demonstrated the Blowzee on another cake, and the Sharks seemed amused.
The Sharks tried their Blowzees and thought the device was cool. Daymond said he wished he had one when he was a kid. The founders shared how they were inspired to invent it and noted that they had filed a utility patent.
The Blowzee’s wholesale price was $6, the retail price was $11.99, and the landed cost was $3.20.
In five months, they had sold 12,000 units and made $12,000 in revenue. The Sharks weren’t impressed with the numbers, and the Marks admitted they were not strong marketers.
Robert liked the product but wanted to know if other items were in the pipeline. The founders said there was an opportunity to customize the Blowzee with licensing deals.
They were primarily selling online and relied on PR to market the product.
Did The Blowzee Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
Kevin said he hated the product and went out. Mark said it wasn’t to his liking and bowed out as well.
Daymond said it wasn’t investable, and he was out. Robert mentioned he’d buy one once, but ultimately passed.
Lori acknowledged that it was a smart product, but she too decided not to invest.
Blowzee eventually did not get a Shark Tank deal.
What Made Blowzee Unique?
Blowzee came out in a time when health and hygiene could mean the difference between life and death and birthday candles were something that never went out of fashion, unfortunately.
It could have meant the difference between life and death had it been utilized by the masses correctly.
The Blowzee Shark Tank Update
While the guys did not get a deal, they sold out of all their inventory in 2.5 hours after their segment aired. In an interview, Mark Lareau said, “This was huge. It essentially was the equivalent of a multi-million dollar ad campaign,” he said.
“It opens up a whole new set of options. This thing started as a little adventure hobby by two friends and we are astounded and humbled that it has gone so far. We’re just excited to see where it goes next.”
Unfortunately, by April 2023, the website was down and the products were “currently unavailable” on Amazon. All of this is indicative of the business being done and dusted.
Posts about The Blowzee on Shark Tank Blog
More product information on this product that blows out candles for you.
Where Can You Buy It?
That is not a possibility anymore, considering their website has gone dark and products are also unavailable on Amazon. You can take a look at their outdated social media accounts on Twitter (X) and Facebook.
Quick Summary
- Mark Apelt and Mark Lareau presented The Blowzee, a device that allows users to blow out birthday candles without spreading germs, seeking $100,000 for 20% equity on Shark Tank.
- Despite the Sharks finding the product amusing, they expressed concerns about the limited market potential and lack of future product development.
- Following the show, The Blowzee experienced a surge in sales, selling out their entire inventory within 2.5 hours after the episode aired.
More updates from this episode! Check out other businesses that participated alongside The Blowzee.
