Here's What Went Down With Kinfield After Shark Tank
It's not every day on "Shark Tank" that an entrepreneur gets four offers from different sharks, but that was the case with Kinfield. The brand is obviously a special one; Kinfield is a vegan, cruelty-free line of insect repellents and sunscreens, offering clean alternatives to traditional chemical products used for those needs. Entrepreneur Nichole Powell, founder and CEO of Kinfield, pitched her products on "Shark Tank" with incredible success, and no wonder! Her brand was well-established and she knew exactly what she was doing. She sought 250,000 for 5% equity in her brand.
While we're used to all kinds of creative pitches on "Shark Tank," a mosquito repellant was certainly a novelty. There's no shortage of skincare brands that grace the screen of ABC's entrepreneurial reality show. Luna Magic Beauty, an inclusive makeup line, did extremely well with the sharks. Meanwhile, Fur, a line of oils to care for body hair, didn't close a deal with the sharks, but went on to succeed thanks to the exposure from the show. As far as Kinfield goes, the brand got the best of both worlds. It closed with two sharks and it's grown enormously thanks to the exposure from the show, and also its top-notch quality.
What happened to Kinfield on Shark Tank?
Nichole Powell gave a stellar pitch on "Shark Tank." Powell, who grew up in Minnesota, explained that she got the idea for her brand after she realized that from childhood to adulthood, she had been using the same chemical-infused, environmentally unfriendly bug repellents and greasy sunscreens. She created Kinfield in order to offer an alternative; it's an outdoor line that's clean, effective, and enjoyable to wear. Her first product was a bug repellant called Golden Hour; it's made with citronella, lemon grass, and vanilla, and also happens to be DEET-free.
Guest shark Tony Xu, CEO of DoorDash, was very intrigued, as were the rest of the sharks. He asked how Kinfield's products compared to DEET-infused products. Powell explained that they had the effectiveness of their repellent inspected by a lab which stated that Kinfield's bug repellent had three hours of protection time. Lori Greiner asked how Powell came up with the idea; the latter explained that she discovered an alternative method of bug repellent while in Indonesia.
From then on, the sharks were interested. Barbara Corcoran offered Powell $250,000 for 10% equity as well as a $2 royalty per product until she was reimbursed. Kevin O'Leary jumped in with $250,000 for 5% equity, plus a $1.50 royalty until he was reimbursed $750,000. Lori Greiner offered $250,000 for 5% with a $4 royalty per unit until she was reimbursed. Xu then offered $250,000 for 10% equity. Corcoran and Xu joined to offer Powell $250,000 for 10% equity.
Kinfield After Shark Tank
Nichole Powell accepted the joint offer from sharks Barbara Corcoran and Tony Xu of $250,000 for 10% equity in Kinfield. By all accounts, it looks like the deal went through. Sometimes, "Shark Tank" deals fall apart behind the scenes, even after agreeing on camera. The easiest way to tell is how much the investor talks about their time on "Shark Tank" and social media usually confirms whether or not the deal went through. As for Kinfield, it's pretty obvious that the "Shark Tank" experience was a positive one.
On June 2, 2023, Powell posted a video on Instagram recapping her experience on the reality show and said in the video that Kinfield landed a deal. References to Powell's pitch on "Shark Tank" are all over Kinfield's social media and website. Kinfield's website loudly and proudly has "As Seen on 'Shark Tank'" on the site, as well as a special Shark Tank bundle of best-selling products.
According to Shark Tank Recap, Kinfield's expected sales for 2023 the year after Powell appeared on "Shark Tank," were expected to boom. This doesn't surprise us at all, since Powell had such a great experience on the show and such success in closing a deal.
Kinfield is still in business
Kinfield is thriving. The brand has gone on to expand and introduce even more products for safe, healthy outdoor living. Not only do they specialize in bug repellant and clean sunscreen, but they've also launched a line of sports products, like anti-chafe balm, Ph-balancing deodorant, and Micellar wipes. They also now have a line of relief products, which are meant to soothe and heal after some outdoor time. For instance, there's a lip balm and hydrating face mask if one's skin gets chapped after a day of skiing. There are also anti-itch products to offer relief for bug bites, and cooling aloe spray if someone gets too much sun. They offer an array of best-selling bundles and they also have a merch line.
For Mother's Day in 2023, Kinfield had a giveaway campaign on Instagram, featuring everything someone might need for time in the great outdoors. Kinfield also hosts events in major cities where they invite people to come "plogging," which is a combination of walking or jogging while picking up litter. They had events in San Francisco, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR, and more. So they certainly know how to keep customers engaged and how to take care of the environment, a pillar of their brand.
What's next for Kinfield and its founder?
The only direction for Kinfield is up, and Nichole Powell is certainly geared up to make that happen. On her LinkedIn, Powell's work experience has her listed as the founder and CEO from April 2018 to present, so this is her major focus. The brand continues to expand its line so that people can achieve their best outdoor living. Plus, customers are very responsive to this brand and their hard work.
A customer who purchased Kinfield's Baseline Deodorant wrote, "I am sensitive to most products and have no reactions to this company's products (Yay!). Scent is light and gender-neutral (Finally) And it works. Keep it going Kinfield." Heck, one customer even shared that she uses the Golden Hour Insect Repellent on her horse. "I bought this for my horse! I spray the Kinfield spray on my hands, rub them together and wipe on his ears and cheeks. Those nasty no 'seeums' stop bothering him then. Thank you!" the happy customer wrote. So even the animals are happy! This sounds like a great brand to get behind. Barbara Corcoran and Tony Xu certainly thought so too.