Here’s What Went Down With 54 Thrones African Skincare & Beauty Products After Shark Tank

Skincare and beauty brand 54 Thrones appeared on “Shark Tank” Season 13 in 2021. The business was founded by Christina Funke Tegbe, who hails from Texas but took skincare inspiration from her African heritage. The company began in 2016 after Funke Tegbe quit her job, traded in her 401k, and hopped on a plane to learn more about her background. 

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“For about a year, I traveled to different African countries because I wanted to learn more about where I came from — Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt,” she told Girl Scouts. “That was where I was drawn to women who were making jojoba oil and shea butter.” After her trip, she was determined to work with the inspiring people she met to bring clean skincare products to the U.S. “Clean beauty started in Africa, from Black and brown women multitasking, finding different roots and herbs for health or celebration,” she explained to Naturally Speaking with Herbivore Botanicals.

54 Thrones gained a lot of traction in its early years — in 2020, one of the company’s products was included on Oprah Winfrey’s Favorite Things List, and in 2021, the company was chosen for the Sephora Accelerate Incubator Program. But Funke Tegbe’s plan to scale the business needed more financial backing, and lots of it. So she turned to “Shark Tank.”

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Christina Funke Tegbe pitched 54 Thrones in front of “Shark Tank” regulars Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec, as well as guest shark Nirav Tolia, founder of Nextdoor. Funke Tegbe wanted a $250,000 investment for a 10% stake, explaining her niche of creating skincare products without harsh chemicals that support African communities. 

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“We partner directly with African cooperatives to create our line of clean beauty products while promoting trade, not aid,” she said during her appearance on “Shark Tank,” impressing the sharks with her education and background. Funke Tegbe explained the company had made $500,000 the year prior and was about to launch in Sephora and Nordstrom, but she needed funding to increase her marketing budget.

Her confident pitch wasn’t enough to impress everyone. Herjavec dropped out first, saying he wasn’t passionate enough about the business. Cuban wouldn’t invest either, saying he didn’t have the skincare knowledge to add value. Lori Greiner (who later invested in Range Beauty) took herself out the running because she felt the business would be in competition with a brand she’d already invested in. Nirav Tolia, however, was willing to give $125,000 if another shark joined the deal. With only Kevin O’Leary left, it all came down to Mr Wonderful. He wanted 20% –- double what Funke Tegbe originally offered. After a lot more negotiating, the group eventually settled on $250,000, with Tolia and O’Leary splitting a 17.5% stake.

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Christina Funke Tegbe got a heads up that things could get crazy after the show aired from fellow “Shark Tank” entrepreneurs Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, of Glow Recipe. And they did, she told Founded Beauty in 2023. Funke Tegbe was streaming on Instagram as she watched the episode live. “As soon as my face came [on] I saw the number of people watching [my stream] go up,” she said. Viewers jumped from hundreds to thousands, which translated into impressive sales for 54 Thrones. “For days, our Shopify was just dinging, dinging, dinging with orders,” she said, sharing that many products went out of stock. 

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“Shark Tank” also helped Funke Tegbe become more visible as brand’s face, letting her create a rapport with customers. “When you’re on the show, the audience buys into the founder and they want to support you, especially if they believe in you and you’re really compelling,” she told WWD in 2023. “So you will get one-time customers that want to support who may not need your product.” 

Not only did customers flock to her socials, but the show also led to a flurry of messages from investors and retailers. Post-“Shark Tank,” 54 Thrones put its efforts into raising more money. According to Pitchbook, the company netted a second round of funding in 2023, and currently has three investors and five employees. Kevin O’Leary and Nirav Tolia are named investors, confirming they stuck to their deal.

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As of 2024, 54 Thrones is definitely still in business. Products are sold directly via the company’s website and are also available at Sephora, Credo, Nordstrom (though they don’t ship outside North America). 

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Although 54 Thrones hasn’t yet going international, the brand has built up quite the following. A recent TikTok video demonstrating the Barrier Repair Cloud Cream amassed over 4 million views. The positive reviews have rolled in, too. “The skin is looking so moisturized that cloud cream plays no games!!!” one fan wrote in the comments of an Instagram video. 54 Thrones’ body butter also received a glowing review from Buzzfeed.

Not only is the company still in business, it’s making big moves. In February 2024, Christina Funke Tegbe appeared on “Good Morning America” and applied moisturizer to Robin Roberts’ hand. She also gave a passionate speech at The Fifteen Percent Pledge Annual Gala that same month, after winning an award the year prior. “I hope me sharing my story on building [54 Thrones] and how winning the Achievement Award last year helped transform my business inspires you to go after the thing that you want,” she wrote on Instagram.

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Though a lot of companies market through influencers with thousands of followers, 54 Thrones has a different approach. Christina Funke Tegbe confirmed in a LinkedIn video she would be rewarding some of the company’s customers and brand ambassadors with an all-expenses-paid trip to a mystery destination, where they can enjoy travel while creating content to promote the company’s products.

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Not only does 54 Thrones’ do things a little differently, we know it also has the capacity to keep expanding. In February 2024, 54 Thrones shared on LinkedIn that it was looking for a brand marketing intern. A few months later, it shared an application for a fulfillment associate.

Funke Tegbe has stayed true to her initial vision for the business. In 2017, she told Small Starter, “I see 54 Thrones growing into a company dedicated to changing the narrative about Africa and embracing cultures through first-hand authentic user experiences.” She’s certainly achieved that.