‘Shark Tank’ deal leads to growth for West Lafayette startup
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Business is booming for a West Lafayette mom and entrepreneur after she recently appeared on “Shark Tank” and earned a deal for her breast milk storage product. Nickey Ramsey is the founder and chief executive officer of Junobie, which produces a first-of-its-kind reusable breast milk bag made from silicone.
In an interview with Business of Health Reporter Kylie Veleta, Ramsey said the idea was born after she was unable to find plastic-free storage bags for her breast milk. Click here to watch interview
“I wanted an option that was going to be reusable and also something that was not going to be plastic because we all know about the chemicals that can leech into our water and our food when we use plastic,” said Ramsey.
Ramsey says in addition to being plastic-free, Junobie brings other benefits. She said it was important for the product to be able to tolerate high heat.
“They’re made with silicone, and silicone is high-heat tolerant. It’s hypoallergenic. It’s naturally bacteria resistant, and you can reheat it many times and don’t have to worry about plastic leeching,” she said. “I love that the product also transitions with the baby as the baby grows…to a food storage bag and then also to a snack pouch in their primary school years.”
In February, Ramsey appeared on “Shark Tank” and calls the experience a dream come true. She was able to seal a deal with Emma Grede for a $100,000 investment and a 22.5% equity in the company.
“We were able to get a deal with Emma Grede and it has been life changing for us as far as the amount of people that were able to see our company on national television and the amount of families that we’re going to be able to help now as Junobie is continuing to grow so quickly from being on the show.”
Before the “Shark Tank” experience, Ramsey, a Purdue University graduate, says she received help from the Purdue Foundry to get up and running.
“I needed something that was going to allow me to learn about business, and Purdue Foundry was it. We’re very thankful for the Foundry program and them just fostering Junobie in our early years.”