Teddy, Logan, and Austin were assigned a college project in 2017 to solve the problem of warm beers. The existing coolers were expensive and very useful to keep your drinks cold for weeks, but not one cooler was available on the market that would keep your beer or other drinks cold for just a few hours.
This means that there was a lack of coolers that were not bulky and heavy to carry, so they were left with no other option but to grab a cold beer from the store and watch it grow warm as they sipped on it leisurely.
What Do They Make?
Kanga started the concept of these easy-to-carry coolers from “Kase Mate,” a soft and little cooler allowing you to slide it around your case of beer to keep it cool for more than 7 hours.
All you need to do is to take your cold case of beer or soda out of the refrigerator and immediately slip it inside the Kase Mate, which helps to keep the beers cold all the while it takes you to enjoy sipping them.
What Makes Them Unique?
Kanga combines the concept of cold drinks with convenience and eliminates the use of heavy and bulky coolers that would do you no good to keep your everyday drinks and beers cold.
Kanga Kase Mate helps to keep your beers cold for almost 7 hours, and that too without the need for any ice.
Are They Still an Active Company?
Kanga coolers have introduced more products to their range of beer coolers, including the handy “Drinkware,” which allows you a perfect grip on your cold beers while providing insulation to prevent them from getting warm. The company is going great with an active website and social media accounts, and the customers love to use their products and have given those tons of positive reviews.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
The entrepreneurs behind Kanga, Logan Lamance, Austin Maxwell, and Teddy Giard, appeared on Shark Tank seeking $100,000 for 10% equity in their business.
Bulky and heavy coolers weigh approximately 50 pounds and cost hundreds of dollars. They are feasible to keep your drinks cold for two weeks but not convenient for just a few hours of use.
Logan introduced them to the Kanga “Kase Mate,” a patent-pending insulated sleeve that warps around your cold case of beer and helps to keep it cold for up to 7 hours without the need for ice. The trio demonstrated how their insulated slipcase worked and provided the Sharks with their own customized Kase Mate designs.
Kevin began by asking them about the sales, and they replied that they had made $103,000 in just about six months. They had two distribution channels. The first was e-commerce, which they launched on Kickstarter and ran for two months, and that alone contributed to about 30% of their sales.
The other one was the custom wholesale, which contributed to the remaining percentage of sales. They also partner with companies that want their logos printed on the Kanga coolers.
The trio came up with this product when they were assigned a college project to come up with a solution to a problem they faced, and they thought that if coolers were available, that would keep their beers cold for weeks. Why weren’t any coolers available to do it for a few hours?
When they took a cold beer from the refrigerator and placed it in a can insulator, they came up with the idea to create small coolers for small cans and cases of beer.
Barbara asked about the material of insulation lining that was keeping the contents of the cooler cold and how they were different from regular thermos lining. Logan said the most exciting part about their product was that the cardboard case provided a degree of insulation coupled with a waterproof barrier that wouldn’t let the air pass through it. This was the reason why they were able to make these compact coolers.
They had two patents, both of which were pending. They were approached by the largest brewery in the world and asked to put their logo of the top 3 brands on the Kanga products. They had a purchase order from Anheuser-Busch the previous week. It was a $16,000 test-only order and expressed that if their product lived up to the expectations, they would order further 10,000 units.
They invested $833 in the business, and Austin explained how he was inspired by BeatBox Beverages, a company that secured a deal on season 6 of Shark Tank, and he started working with that company as a brand ambassador and then an intern. He wanted to present his company to Shark Tank one day and turned down multiple engineering offers to work as an entrepreneur.
The young entrepreneurs and their passion inspired the Sharks, and Mark straightway made an offer of $100,000 for 20% equity. He didn’t want any negotiations or counteroffers.
In a blink, the trio accepted his offer, and the three of them celebrated the deal with Mark Cuban over cold cans of beer.
Our Review of Kanga
The Kanga Kase Mate is an excellent cooler that can be used on beach trips or any other outing where you need to bring your cold beers and keep them that way for a long time.
Pros of Kanga
- Accommodates a variety of beer case sizes
- The neoprene flaps allow you to comfortably wear and carry the coolers wherever you go
- Great quality Velcro was used in the making of these coolers.
Cons of Kanga
- Coolers’ stitching might break from places where the pressure is greatest.
Who Is Kanga For?
Kanga coolers are amazing products that can be used to keep your beer or sodas cold for a few hours. They do not need ice for this insulation and are perfect for carrying your drinks to a party or a small gathering.
Are There Any Alternatives?
- THERMOS Stainless Steel Beverage Can Insulator
- Simple Modern Skinny Can Cooler for Slim Beer and Hard Seltzer.
Our Final Thoughts:
Austin, Logan, and Teddy proved to the Sharks that a genius idea and great motivation could lead any entrepreneur to a pathway filled with success.
