Blueland is a brand that produces eco-friendly cleaning products. The company appeared on the 11th season of Shark Tank in 2019. On the show, it broke a great deal with Kevin O’Leary, aka ‘Mr. Wonderful.’ Since then, the business has expanded rapidly and significantly impacted the market. What has made Blueland so prominent is probably its emphasis on sustainability. The company aims to eliminate single-use plastic from household cleaning products by providing innovative, reusable packaging, and intense cleaning tablets.
Here is an update on Blueland’s ongoing success following its Shark Tank experience.
About Blueland
Blueland was started by Sarah Paiji Yoo and John Mascari. Sarah is now the co-founder and CEO of the company. The company aimed to reduce single-use plastic and promote non-toxic cleaning products. They launched their products on Earth Day in 2019. Each product came in a kit with a refillable bottle, and the tablet packaging was fully recyclable.
Their products include a Starter Set with a glass bottle and one tablet for $12. The Essentials Kit has hand soap and three cleaning sprays for $39. Refill tablets cost $2 each, which is cheaper than buying new cleaning spray bottles. All of Blueland’s products have been carefully tested and approved by the EPA and other independent labs.
Since appearing on Shark Tank, the company has introduced more than 10 new products, including Laundry Detergent, Dish Soap, Dishwasher Detergent, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Body Wash, and Face Wash. You can easily find these products on Blueland.com and at stores like Target, Costco, Container Store, and Erewhon across the country.
Similarly, Blueland holds over 40 patents and was the first company to provide refillable cleaning products in the form of tablets. The firm has also been certified by B Corp, Climate Neutral, Cradle to Cradle, EPA Safer Choice, Made Safe, USDA BioPreferred, EWG, and Leaping Bunny.
Blueland on Shark Tank
Sarah and Syed Naqvi, who is now the chief innovation officer, represented their company, Blueland, on Season 11 of Shark Tank. At the time of filming, the company had been in business for just one month and had sales of $200,000. They sell their products directly to consumers online but are about to start selling through a national retailer.
Guest shark Daniel Lubetzky was the first to show interest and asked Lori to join his offer. Kevin O’Leary also made an offer of his own. While Robert Herjavec said the product was easy to use, he believed changing consumer habits would be difficult, so he decided not to invest. The fourth shark, Mark Cuban felt that Blueland was only looking for publicity, so he decided not to make a deal.
Blueland Deal with Shark Tank
Sarah Paiji and Syed Naqvi went on Shark Tank asking for $270,000 in exchange for 2% of Blueland’s equity. The Sharks were impressed with the products, however, they were taken aback by the low equity that was placed on the table. Guest Shark Daniel, who is the founder of KIND Snacks, then proposed a deal with Lori to invest $1 million in return for 25% equity. The Blueland team was reluctant to give up such a large share of their company. While Lori and Daniel were negotiating, Kevin O’Leary stepped in with an offer of $270,000 for 6% of the company. Soon after, Lori and Daniel returned with a new offer of $270,000 for 8% of the company.
Although both offers were good, Sarah and Syed decided to negotiate back. They proposed a deal of 3% equity for $270,000. Kevin responded with an offer of 5% equity. Sarah and Syed then made another counteroffer, offering 3% equity for $270,000 and a $0.50 royalty per kit until Kevin made back his money. Ultimately, Mr. Wonderful sealed the deal with Blueland and so far so good they continued working together.
Blueland’s success post-Shark Tank
After sealing the deal with Kevin O’Leary in Shark Tank, Blueland expanded its business by adding other various cleaning products. They collaborated with the eco-friendly fashion brand, Reformation and also received an endorsement from Kim Kardashian. Further, they began selling their products in major retail stores including Meijer, Target, The Container Store, and Costco.
In season 12 of Shark Tank, the founders returned to the show to give an update on their brand. They shared that just a week after their season 11 episode aired, Kevin brought them onto QVC. From that single appearance, they earned $250,000 in sales. By 2019, Blueland had reached $15 million in sales.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for cleaning products increased by 300%. The company initially struggled to meet this high demand and had to reduce its marketing efforts. Despite these challenges, Blueland remained focused on creating more sustainable products for its customers. In 2022, they started selling on Amazon and also partnered with Prelude Growth Partners, a women-led equity firm, where they get $20 million in funding.
After that, Blueland grew by over 400% in its second year. Paiji Yoo spoke about the company’s tremendous growth and its impact on sustainability in a press release. She shared,
“When we started Blueland, we set out to change both consumer behavior and industry practices around plastic consumption and production. We’ve seen tremendous positive reception as the first and leading brand to use no single-use plastic consumption and production,”
“We’ve seen tremendous positive reception as the first and leading brand to use no single-use plastic across all our cleaning products, and we are excited to expand into additional categories and channels and reach more consumers to maximize our impact on the planet.”
In 2023, Blueland earned $20.3 million in revenue.
What does Sarah Paiji Yoo envision for Bluland?
During an interview with Amazon, Sarah Paiji Yoo discussed her determination to see Blueland through to success in adopting more environmentally friendly practices. She said,
“One of our main goals is to move our industry and business in general in the right direction, to make sustainability look so good that other businesses want to do the right thing and prioritize the planet, We want to be the case study for a company that can be incredibly financially successful while also demonstrating that it does not have to be a trade-off. And we want to raise so much consumer awareness about the practices that we do, and the practices that we believe business should espouse in order to drive consumers to demand better from business.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, Blueland has grown a lot since appearing on Shark Tank in 2019. With the support of Kevin O’Leary, the company has rapidly expanded its new product, introduced innovative cleaning solutions, and secured a major retail partnership. Its main focus is on being eco-friendly and reduction of single-use plastics. This helps their growth and strong presence in the market. Well, Blueland is still working to promote green practices and show that a business can succeed while being good to the environment.
Also read, How Can You Get Scarlett Johansson’s Skin? Find Out About Her Skincare Brand ‘The Outset’!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Did Blueland get a deal on Shark Tank?
Yes, Kevin O’Leary sealed a deal with Blueland on Shark Tank of 3% equity for $270,000 and a $0.50 royalty per kit until Kevin made back his money.
2. What made Blueland stand out on Shark Tank?
Blueland stood out on Shark Tank because it focuses on being eco-friendly. They want to stop using single-use plastics in cleaning products. Instead, they offer reusable packaging and intense cleaning tablets.
3. How has Blueland grown since appearing on Shark Tank?
Since appearing on Shark Tank, Blueland has introduced over 10 new products, including laundry detergent and body wash. They are now available on Blueland.com and in major stores like Target and Costco.
4. What are some of Blueland’s achievements?
Blueland holds over 40 patents and was the first to offer refillable cleaning products in tablet form. The company has been certified by various eco-friendly organizations.
5. What are Blueland’s future goals?
Sarah Paiji Yoo aims to show that businesses can succeed financially while being environmentally friendly. She wants Blueland to set an example of how to be both profitable and sustainable.