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While season 16 of Shark Tank premiered on October 18, fans of the coveted reality show are curious about the brands that took a deal from the show in the past. Some of their updates are even covered on the show, but some businesses tank after their success stories are featured on the show.
Breathometer was one such business that appeared on Shark Tank season 5, which premiered in September 2013. Started by Charles Michael Yim, Breathometer was an app along with a blower, that told its users the alcohol content in their blood, claiming to ensure safe alcohol levels before driving.
It aimed to get to the root of drunk driving as a problem and ensure public safety. Breathometer also became one of the lucky businesses to secure all five sharks into the deal. They ended up giving away 30% of their equity for $1 million.
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After running for a few years after their appearance on Shark Tank, Breathometer reportedly shut down because they ran into issues with the Federal Trade Commission after the devices they sold between 2013 and 2015 showed false readings, and they did nothing about it.
Updates on Breathometer after their appearance on Shark Tank season 5
Breathometer did secure the dream deal of getting all five sharks. However, only Mark Cuban kept the money in, while the rest of the sharks- Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Rober Harjavec, and Daymond John, withdrew their money for reasons unknown.
Breathometer appeared on episode 5 of season 5 and had their update covered in episode 29 of the same season. The update showed that Yim, the founder, had issues keeping up with the great boost Shark Tank gave his business. They did $1 million in sales after their appearance on the show, as per the update.
Breathometer got a second update in season 6 episode 4, in October 2014. Here, Yim showed off the new Bluetooth version of Breathometer, called The Breeze. This new device was developed in a lab at the Cleveland Clinic. They were selling these in Brookstone and Best Buy. The company was said to do $10 million in sales that year.
However, things took a turn for Yim and his company. In 2017, the Federal Trade Commission required Yim to refund the money for the devices he sold between 2013-2015, as detailed in a press release from January 23, the same year.
This was because according to their findings, the Breathometer would show lower levels of blood alcohol to its user than there was. The FTC press release also stated that Breathometer was aware of the fault, yet continued to sell its product, a move that caused them to pay their customers back.
Further, as per the press release, the director of FTC, Jessica Rich, said:
"People relied on the defendant’s products to decide whether it was safe to get behind the wheel. Overstating the accuracy of the devices was deceptive — and dangerous".
In a Full Send podcast episode, aired on July 15, 2022, Mark Cuban stated that Breathometer was the worst investment in his history on the show. He said he lost "all of the money" calling it his "biggest beating."
As per a CNBC report from July 22, 2022, both Breathometer and Mint, an oral health device developed by the company, were unavailable for purchase on their website. The app was also reported to be unavailable.
New episodes of Shark Tank season 16 come out on Fridays, at 8 pm ET, on ABC.
