A Melbourne couple who had the aim to ‘revolutionise’ baby food bottles have managed to score $120,000 on the latest episode of Shark Tank, after entrepreneur Steve Baxter was enthused by the innovative product.
Husband and wife duo Julie-Ann and Glen Mayer founded Subo in 2012 after a ‘lightbulb’ moment with an empty toothpaste container led to the two conceiving an idea for a non-squeeze baby food bottle.
Locally made and manufactured, the bottle has a one-way air valve at the bottom, allowing for food to be pushed easily through the spout at the top as the user sucks it out, reducing mess at what the creators called ‘the most stressful part of the day’.
Subo’s baby bottle isn’t limited to just liquid, however, with the bottle being able to be used for chunkier substances, including Weetbix and spaghetti.
Entering the ‘tank’, the couple confidently pitched their idea, before asking for a $120,000 investment for a 12% stake in the business, valuing Subo at $1million.
Entrepreneur Steve Baxter was quick to jump on board the product, stating: ‘I’m on your journey, I’ve got a pair of 30-month-olds. This to me is a godsend. It’s so well built, you name your price.’
The choice to manufacture the product in Australia has also been a significant benefit for Subo, with the founders saying they made the decision not only to support the local manufacturing industry, but also for the power Australian Made goods have in international markets.
Glen said, ‘A lot of countries love Australian Made baby products, and we wanted to ensure if we export the product we could be part of the Australian Made campaign and use that iconic logo.’
‘We have some overseas distributors that said they wouldn’t have looked twice at our product if not for that logo.’
The duo say their plans right now are on fast-forward, thanks to Shark Tank, as they’re quickly tracking their goals of international expansion into US and Chinese markets that otherwise would have taken years to develop.
You can check out Subo here.