SoaPen on 'Shark Tank': What is the cost, who are the founders and how you can make handwashing fun
Amid the pandemic, the importance of washing ones' hands is now more relevant than ever. Although Covid-19 made using hand sanitizers the norm, the fact remains that washing hands thoroughly has proven to be far more effective. And while people have been putting it into practice out of concern for their health, getting kids to wash their hands thoroughly can certainly be a task. With parents and guardians not always around to monitor them, it is important to find a way to engage kids in a manner where they take up this practice on their own.
Enter SoaPen, an innovation that helps make washing hands fun. Although a seemingly simple and easy product to use, the idea is the promote hygiene and health among children. With SoaPen entering the 'Shark Tank', the question is, will Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec or Nirav Tolia take the bait?
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What is SoaPen?
Getting kids to wash their hands is easier said than done. Unless you're watching them like a hawk, you can trust they are not going to be paying attention to the process themselves. And while it may seem like a chore for both you and your little ones, this pandemic has truly emphasized the need for basic hygiene, with handwashing topping the list. If you still find yourself stuck trying to get them to go it correctly, SoaPen is just what you need!
The idea is simple enough -- SoaPen makes hand washing fun! With liquid soap dispensed in a tube, kids can get creative with the bright colors and then, wash away the soap, leaving nothing behind but clean hands! It encourages children to make hand-washing a part of their routine with or without supervision. Apart from this, SoaPen also has a larger goal to support organizations that enable children's health care.
As explained on their website - "Our mission is to make handwashing fun and accessible for kids around the world. For every purchase, we donate soap or a percentage of profits to partner organizations that passionately support children's hygiene and health. We've conducted successful handwashing awareness campaigns in India and the Philippines using SoaPen as a teaching tool and are excited to grow our impact."
Who are the founders?
Yogita Agrawal, Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand are the founders. Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand grew up in New Delhi, India and the trio met at the Parsons School of Design, NY. The duo were both interested in design for social impact, which led them to the UNICEF Wearables for Good Challenge. As they explained it on their website -- "It highlighted a statistic that moved us - more than 50% of infectious diseases that lead to fatalities among kids under 5 can be avoided by the simple act of washing hands with soap. We started thinking “how can we make handwashing with soap fun?”. Thus in 2016, SoaPen materialized.
"We wanted to first understand why children are not using soap in schools, which incidentally is the most obvious location to educate children about the importance of personal hygiene," Agrawal explained while talking to Economic Times. "We then realized that bar soap tends to get stolen, and with liquid soap children tend to over-squirt and waste it. Moreover, it is not fun or exciting for them to be approached on the subject of hand washing," she added.
What is the cost and where to buy SoaPen from?
SoaPen currently retails at $15.99 for a set of three. These pens come in three different colors -- blue, red and green. You can purchase the products via the website. The brand has also begun selling hand sanitizers for $16.99, available in two different scents.
Where is SoaPen now?
Although SoaPen started with just handwashing, they went on to launch a range of sanitizers at the peak of the pandemic, seeing that there was such a massive demand for the same.
Who will steal the deal?
Out of all the sharks, it looks like Lori Greiner might be the one most likely to take the bait when it comes to SoaPen.
‘Shark Tank’ Season 13 Episode 4 airs on ABC on October 29, 2021, at 8 pm ET. Catch the latest episode featuring products like SoaPen, The Magic 5, Tabby and 54 Thrones.
Missed an episode? Been wanting to catch up? Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu. Not just that, you can also watch old seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.
