Back in 2009, the pilot episode of Shark Tank introduced the show to the world in a very memorable way with a pitch of a product called Ionic Ear. Pitched by entrepreneur Darrin Johnson, Ionic Ear was a surgically implanted Bluetooth device meant to solve the issue of people’s Bluetooth speakers falling out of their ears. Armed with concept images of how the device would be implanted under the earlobe, Johnson seemed to feel confident in his idea.
However, the panel of potential investors on the show didn’t share his enthusiasm, and no offers were made. Since then, Ionic Ear has vanished. On Shark Tank, a panel of investors, also called sharks on the show, listen to business pitches for innovative products and offer deals if they are interested. Even if a deal is offered on the show, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will pass the post-show due diligence period when the investment is more heavily scrutinized to ensure it is a sound business call.
Just because no offer is made in an episode doesn’t necessarily mean the product will fail, either. In Season 13, the product MuteMe didn’t receive an offer, but it still grew into a business. For the Ionic Ear, however, it was the death knell as the business never got going, and no physical products were ever made.
Details of the Shark Tank deal
Darrin Johnson explained his surgically implantable Ionic Ear to the sharks of Shark Tank, though he admitted it had never been tested before. The device itself had both a speaker and a microphone, as well as a battery that needed to be recharged. The solution? Inserting a needle into your own ear to recharge the battery at night. Johnson asked for a $1 million investment for a 15% stake in his company.
The panel of investors was understandably disturbed by this untested and unproven technology. It brings to mind the DIY microchip implants that you install inside your own body. Aside from the investors’ overall feeling that the product was quite creepy, there was also a simple lack of consumer need. Surgically implanting a Bluetooth speaker that needs to be recharged every night is a very extreme response to a Bluetooth earbud falling out when you’re on a jog.
With no deal being offered and no business already going, Ionic Ear never made it off the ground. As of the time of this writing, there is no sign of Ionic Ear anywhere on the web. There is no website, no social media account, no Kickstarter, and nothing to really show that Darrin Johnson and his implantable device ever got any product out or made any sales after Shark Tank.
Was Ionic Ear just ahead of its time?
Surgically implanted devices with Bluetooth capabilities are something seen today, so was Ionic Ear just ahead of its time? There are wireless cochlear implants with Bluetooth capabilities made by a company called Advanced Bionics. With its Bluetooth, you can stream audio and make phone calls. Though it sounds similar to Ionic Ear, it’s not designed to overcome the inconvenience of headphones. It is designed as a medical device for people suffering from hearing loss.
It’s similar to a specific brain implant that converts thoughts into spoken words for those who can’t speak. They aren’t for recreation, but for medical necessity. Darrin Johnson’s Ionic Ear also carried risks with its Bluetooth design that he may not have been aware of. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that surgically implanted devices with Bluetooth capabilities are a cybersecurity risk, with there being concern that bad actors will disable them or worse.
Though some entrepreneurs see success on Shark Tank and go on to build their business with the investment, some, like the Ionic Ear, vanish after their episode appearance. Though, since all these years later, it is still remembered, the product has survived in a way.
