Zach and Delisa Harper introduce Funky Mello, their vegan marshmallows made from chickpeas, in Shark Tank episode 1517. The couple suffers from food allergies and they wanted to create a whipped dessert that satisfied them. Delisa has a marketing background and Zach did pharmaceutical sales for many years. When they started the business in 2017, Zach was still working; he went full time about a year later.
At first, they sold at farmers markets but they gradually grew their online sales and retail footprint. They’re currently in Whole foods in the western and southern midwestern USA. The products are made from chickpeas that are “whipped to perfection with chickpea magic.” Other ingredients include sugar, tapioca syrup, salt and vanilla extract.
Besides Whole Foods, they sell on their website. There are no individual choices – they sell bundles. For instance, a three pack of vanilla, hazelnut and chai marshmallow dips is $19.99. As of the original air date of March 1, 2024, they weren’t fulfilling orders until April/May. Since they already have a retail foot print, they’re likely looking for a Shark to help them scale on a national level.
Company Information
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Posts about Funky Mello on Shark Tank Blog
Funky Mellow: The Marshmallow Revolutionaries
Funky Mello Shark Tank Recap
Zach and Delisa enter the Shark Tank seeking $50,000 for 15% of their company. They ask the Sharks if they remember the magic of marshmallows growing up like roasting them on a campfire, melting them in your cocoa or exploding them in the microwave. Marshmallows make us happy, but the ingredients do not. Like gelatin, which is made from boiled skin, tendons and ligaments from cows and pigs. That’s why they created a cleaner marshmallow.
Funky Mello is the world’s first refrigerated, plant based marshmallow cream. It’s gluten free, allergen free and delicious. It’s super versatile. Use it in your coffee, have it as a dip for fruit or top the perfect ice cream sundae. The have some funky flavors: Vivacious Vanilla, Satisfying Strawberry or Creamy Cookie. They ask the Sharks who wants to invest.
Samples and Questions
Lori asks what they’re eating. Each Shark has all 3 flavors paired with goodies. Lori likes hers. Zach tells them they use chickpea liquid as a base. There are 6 grams of sugar per tablespoon and 30 calories per tablespoon. “Normal” marshmallows have 60-70 calories per serving. Daymond thinks it’s “absolutely amazing.” Kevin thinks it’s an incredible innovation. The number 1 way their customers use it is as a coffee additive. It’s good with hot chocolate too.
In 2022, they had $100,000 in sales and lost $7000. Year to date in 2023 they’re on track to do $200,000. They have $15,000 in the bank; Delisa put $30,000 into the business out of her own funds. She has a background in marketing in the tech world. Zach’s background is in pharmaceutical sales. He also has a lot of dietary restrictions and went to the hospital a lot because he didn’t know what was going on with his body. He found out he was allergic to corn, soy and gluten. After finding this out, they came together to create something tasty and clean that Zach could enjoy. They started by making it from scratch and selling it at Farmer’s Markets.
Let’s Talk Numbers
They’re in 20 Whole Foods and they were in 200 stores last year because they were in Sprouts for the holiday season. Daniel says $40,000 in sales from 20 stores is respectable. They do a lot of demos and Daymond says that’s good because people will love the product. They’re doing 9 units per store per week. It costs $2 to make it, it wholesales for $4 and retails for $6.99. They’re the only company that makes this cream in the world and they could make other products from it.
Daniel reiterates that their numbers are good and Daymond says he’ll give them $50,000 for 15%. The other Sharks tell them to take it because it was exactly what they asked for. They accept.
Funky Mello Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show. As of the first re-run of this episode in June, 2024 – about 3 months after the original air date – there is no evidence the deal with Daymond closed. Daymond usually Tweets about the companies he does deals with on show night or the day after; he did not Tweet about Funky Mello. The Funky Mello webpage makes no references to Shark Tank either. I’m betting the deal didn’t close. Funky Mello is now in 109 stores and on WalMart.com.
The Shark Tank Blog will follow-up on Funky Mello & Zach and Delisa Harper as more details become available.
