# Banana Phone

> Banana Phone makes a banana-shaped Bluetooth handset that pairs with any smartphone, so you can take calls, talk to Siri or Google Assistant, and play music by holding a bright yellow banana to your ear. Started as a desk gag in Buffalo, funded on Indiegogo in 2017, and later pitched on Shark Tank, the company has sold more than $1.6 million of handsets while routing 1% of sales to mountain gorilla conservation.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** Buffalo, New York, United States
- **Founders:** Max Brown (Co-Founder & CEO), Brian Brunsing (Co-Founder & President), Charlie Katrycz (Co-Founder & CTO)
- **Team size:** Small team (reported around 22 associated on business databases)
- **Products:** Banana Phone (Bluetooth Handset), Accessories & sticker packs
- **Notable:** Hit 145% of its Indiegogo goal in 2017, raising ~$45K from ~700 backers across 18 countries, Featured by The Verge, Mashable, Huffington Post, Esquire and Laughing Squid, Pitched on Shark Tank (Season 14) at a $2.5M valuation

## Products & services

- **Banana Phone (Bluetooth Handset)** — A 9-inch, banana-shaped Bluetooth handset that pairs with any Android or iPhone. Answer, end, and reject calls with a button on the handset; trigger Siri or Google Assistant by voice; and use it as a Bluetooth speaker for music. Rated for about 20 hours of talk time, 120 hours of standby, and roughly 60 feet of range, with a micro-USB charge cable included. Made using recycled ABS plastic.
- **Accessories & sticker packs** — Charging cables, sticker packs and related add-ons sold through the online store and retail partners.

## Achievements

- Hit 145% of its Indiegogo goal in 2017, raising ~$45K from ~700 backers across 18 countries
- Featured by The Verge, Mashable, Huffington Post, Esquire and Laughing Squid
- Pitched on Shark Tank (Season 14) at a $2.5M valuation
- Earned organic promotion from Reese Witherspoon
- Surpassed $1.6M in lifetime sales while staying profitable and bootstrapped
- Maintains a 4.5-star Amazon rating across thousands of reviews

## Latest updates

- **2022-10** — Appeared on Shark Tank Season 14 asking $250,000 for 10%; all five sharks passed, but the exposure drove new sales.
- **2022-02** — Reviewed by tech press as a nostalgic, screen-time-reducing gadget that also supports gorilla conservation.
- **2023-01** — Reported surpassing $1.6M in cumulative sales; product continues to sell on Amazon, Walmart and the direct store.

## Links

- Website: https://bananaphone.io
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/banana-phone
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bananaphone.io/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/banana-phone
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-19