Our founder and inventor had a problem. He drenched his phone while washing his boat. He tried rice after it was recommended to him from the help desk at a big box retailer, but it did not work. Plus, a grain of rice got lodged in the charging port! How could that be? Nothing existed to solve a problem we all have? He went home and was eating some beef jerky and saw the silica packs that come in everything that is sensitive to moisture. If rice works so well, why was there not a packet of rice? Here was the lightbulb moment. What would happen if you encapsulated the desiccated in moisture wicking nylon? This led to the development of our patented BONE-DRI technology featured in all our bags.
We have bags and pouches used to dry and protect phones, electronics, firearms, cannabis, fishing, hunting and a multitude of situations where moisture can ruin your day.
Absorbits is a must own for everyone. Our bags range in price from $10.00 to $179.00 and are available on Amazon and at selected retailers. We have all been there and moisture is not a friend to most of our wet phones when fishing? No problem. Dropped your phone in the toilet? We got you. After a great hunting trip, our bags will make the cleanup of your weapons a breeze! And they are reusable, simply dry with a hairdryer. Our reviews on Amazon speak for themselves and we have over 65k followers on Instagram alone. We have partnered with the NRA for our ballistics bags. We have many military applications and there is huge interest.
Was it a lightbulb moment or gradual process?
Total lightbulb moment. Drinking a beer and eating beef jerky after rice destroyed my phone. I could not believe that there was no solution and the recommendation from the “geek squad” made it worse! I literally cut up the t-shirt I was wearing that was made of moisture wicking nylon and started prototyping.
Have you been involved in the industry/started your own company before Absorbits? And how did you validate the idea?
I had no experience as an inventor, but during my career, I had the pleasure of working with some incredible people who had the experience. I went to a friend who is a major player in the cellphone industry and his response was my validation. This is a guy who is a master distributor for one of the largest companies in the field. His answer was “we would have no interest as we want to sell new phones, not help people fix their current one.” Most people would see that as a negative. I sensed……Fear! He was afraid this would affect his business. After drowning my phone numerous times and my home-made solution working, I hired an attorney to apply for my patent.
Did you have any experience/expertise in the area?
None, I literally learned how to do it all myself as I was constantly disappointed by those hired to help me. I spent endless hours on YouTube learning everything from 3pl distribution to website design.
How did you fund the idea initially?
Initially, I personally funded Absorbits and have invested over 200k. We have also raised over 300k from friends and family and have developed a large social media following with over 65k followers. Sales online have been robust and I am learning that getting into retailers is a lot of work and hopefully a little luck. Raising capital is always the hardest part of developing a new idea and we had quite the uphill battle as we are a completely new technology. Initially, we were focused on the electronics accessory market but found that we were a “reactionary purchase,” meaning you needed to drown your phone to react and purchase. We also found that consumers would buy 1 unit for their entire family. So, we pivoted into areas that are “Proactive purchases” including firearms, cannabis, and tools for example and our investors were passionate about firearms and other areas we pivoted to.
How did you get your first 10 sales?
Our electronics rescue pouch was featured on a local NBC affiliate as a “must have item for hurricane preparedness.” We were already set up with Amazon and that is when we got traction.
What features are you planning to add? Any upsell plans?
We have developed additional designs for firearms, cannabis, and tools. Our “tile” system which are 12”x12” panels with Velcro can be used to retrofit any existing storage bags, boxes, safes etc. We have developed several clicks funnels to upsell customers.
How is Absorbits better than its competitors
We are the only patented moisture removal pouches on the planet and they are reusable. Our biggest competitor are Rice and loose desiccant that make a mess and really don’t do much. Our commercial competitors are a Ziplock bag with desiccant packs.
We were awarded a full US utility patent September of 2017; thus, stopping cloned from taking market share.
What are the top apps your business could not run without?
Amazon Seller central Fulfillment: Integral piece of how we sell and distribute products. Allows us a global footprint to generate sales.
Shopify: How we run our website and ecommerce. Links directly to Amazon for fulfillment and provides terrific apps for affiliate programs, SEO, and integration to sell on most platforms.
Instagram: Best platform for influencers and social media content.
Google Analytics: Best way to understand the behavior of consumers and which marketing programs work.
HARO: Provides direct access to reporters and a great way to handle your own PR.
What are you going to work on in the future?
Big box retail implementation and finding a rep group to expand our reach to small gun shops around the country. We have exposure to Canada and will be launching with the largest gun shop chain in Canada. We are also focusing on new designs for cannabis storage as well as expansion of our offerings in firearms, tools, cameras, and a multitude of silos for revenue.
Where do you see the company in 5 years?
At our current growth rate, we will be at $40,000,000 in sales worldwide. The military has expressed interest in our technology for ammunition storage so these numbers could be conservative. Continuing to help people deal with moisture removal solutions using our BONE-DRI technology.
Would you ever sell Absorbits?
Yes, what we do should not define who we are. I have built and sold companies before and have failed. I welcome the opportunity to have additional oars in the water.
| Company Name: | Absorbits |
|---|---|
| Founder: | Elliot Harris |
