Season 14 of “Shark Tank,” which aired in 2022, showcased a fun automotive product that sought to take a new spin on an established market. It was called Ride FRSH and was a line of car air fresheners. The purpose was to give boring car air fresheners a makeover, making them fun, more easily personalized, and with a wider range of scents. One of the potential investors on the show did offer a deal, though the ultimate fate of that pact is not completely clear. Even so, Ride FRSH is still in business today and continues to expand its offerings.
The Ride FRSH air fresheners feature different colors and are larger than traditional air fresheners. Each of them has a car-related lyric from a song on it in fun text. There have even been partnerships with Nickelodeon for SpongeBob SquarePants-themed air fresheners, and with the NBA for ones with basketball teams on them. Some of the scents they come in include woodgrain, leather, ocean breeze, lavender, and peach.
Not all deals agreed to during an episode of “Shark Tank” close afterward as they go through the due diligence period. That was the case for another automotive product, Zero Pollution Motors from Season 6. Its deal didn’t get finalized, and unfortunately, the company went out of business. Whether or not the Ride FRSH closed, though, the good-smell company still continues to thrive.
The details of the Shark Tank deal
Ride FRSH was started by Detroit locals Donovan Brown, Garrett Mitchell, Trey Brown, and Dean Parker. Though they are all from Michigan, they came up with the idea while all living in Los Angeles. It was Trey and Donovan Brown who appeared on “Shark Tank” to pitch the product. It was coming in already with some momentum. The company was making a profit, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales. At that time, they were selling directly to the consumer, but also had their products in Target and Dollar General locations. They wanted to partner with more retailers to get their products on more store shelves across the country.
Trey and Donovan asked for a $200,000 investment for a 5% stake in the company. The sharks weren’t immediately sure. Some felt it wasn’t a product they would personally use, and there was also concern about the move into retail. However, after some negotiating, Barbara Corcoran agreed to a deal with them.
The details about what happened after the show are murky. Not long after the episode aired, Barbara took to social media to celebrate the deal. There appears to be no available evidence that the deal eventually closed, though. Whether it did or not, Ride FRSH has carried on, and its products are still available for purchase.
What Ride FRSH is doing now
Ride FRSH has an active website where you can order its air fresheners. There are starter bundles available with 14 air fresheners for $33. There are even subscription services to get new scents monthly. Not only does the site offer these air fresheners, but it also has car-cleaning kits available, which might be a good complement to this cool Amazon gadget for tidying up your cabin. It boasts that the product has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Black Enterprise, AfroTech, Yahoo! Finance, and more.
Ride FRSH has a small social media presence. Its Facebook page gets infrequent updates. The last post was in March 2025, promoting the product. The last Instagram post was in December 2023, with exciting company news. Ride FRSH secured a deal with AutoZone to put its products in the stores. It looks like the move into retail went just about the way the founders hoped.
Ride FRSH is definitely a “Shark Tank” success story, even though the product was doing well even before it showed up on TV. Not only that, but Ride FRSH is the first Black-owned company in the U.S. devoted to air fresheners for cars. It’s an inspiring entrepreneurial story. One of its air fresheners could be a solid addition to your car cabin, right alongside any of the cool new dashboard gadgets that can improve your ride’s overall tech, as well.
