Where Is Electra From Shark Tank Today?
When you think of sports drinks, examples like Gatorade and Vitamin Water likely spring to mind. In theory, these popular health beverages are supposed to help athletes by keeping them hydrated and replacing lost electrolytes. However, there are often actually negative effects of sports drinks that drag athletes down, such as all the added sugar.
That's why, after realizing how many calories and how much sugar was in some of the biggest brands on the market, former WNBA player Fran Harris created Electra. Harris felt that her sports drink, designed with physical wellness in mind, was a true winner. So, she applied to be on "Shark Tank" and secured her opportunity to pitch.
According to her blog, Harris believes her casting success came down to three things: coming from an interesting background, having an impressive idea, and knowing how to present it financially. Harris targeted an industry worth billions, had relevant experience, and was deeply passionate about her product. That was enough to get her on TV, but was it enough to seal the deal?
Did Electra energize the Sharks?
Harris pitched Electra on Episode 9, Season 12 of "Shark Tank," offering 20% equity for a $350,000 investment. She explained that her product wasn't just sugar, artificial ingredients, and salt, like many other sports drinks. Instead, her athletic beverage got its flavor from monk fruit. What's monk fruit?
As explained by Healthline, monk fruit (also called Buddha fruit or luo han guo) is a Southeastern Asian fruit that's over a hundred times sweeter than sugar, despite having zero calories. Monk fruit's sugary juice is removed during the extraction process, and the dry powder that takes shape relies on a special type of antioxidant for its sweet taste. That makes this sweetener healthier than sugar.
Nevertheless, the Sharks were wary about the well-established competitors that already existed in the sports drink market. They were also skeptical of Harris' plan to pay for direct-to-consumer shipping as well as cooler space in retail (rather than just selling a small, powdery mix). For those reasons, most of the Sharks were out. But after Harris revealed that she had two Hall-of-Famer endorsements lined up, Barbara Corcoran promised to invest $100,000 plus a $250,000 line of credit for 30% equity ' if Harris could indeed deliver on a big-name endorsement.
Ultimately, however, it appears this deal did not go through.
Is Electra running out of energy?
Corcoran doesn't list Harris as one of her "Shark Tank" entrepreneurs on her website. Interestingly, though, the Electra website does recount "landing Barbara Corcoran." So, this aspect of the startup remains a bit of a mystery with no public explanation available.
However, thanks to an interview Harris did with NTX INNO right after her episode premiered, we know Electra initially surged in popularity. Sales through its online store rose dramatically, which Corcoran tried to help Harris prepare for. Still, the venture ran into technical difficulties, and there was a shipping mishap during which product was damaged and orders were delayed. Luckily, there was some good news, as more venture capitalists wished to invest in Electra after seeing Harris' televised pitch. As of 2021, Electra was planning to expand its product line and get picked up by retailers such as H.E.B.
As of 2023, though, it seems Electra may have run out of energy. H.E.B. does not carry Electra, and Electra currently only sells powdery mixes through its e-store. The business hasn't posted on Twitter since 2021, Facebook since early 2022, nor Instagram since summer 2022. Even so, Harris still lists herself as the present and full-time Founder/CEO of Electra Beverages & Nutritionals, LLC on Linkedin. Could it be this startup just needs a little pick-me-up to truly get going again?