Beyond the Lemonade Stand: 7 Kid Entrepreneurs Share Their Secrets of Success
Benjamin Yu, Co-Founder
Sprayable Energy
You might have heard about Benjamin Yu and his company Sprayable Energy. After all, in 2013 they had the #1 most popular active campaign on Indiegogo (out of 4K+ campaigns) and raised $169,891 – 11 times+ their initial goal of $15K.
Ben was a molecular and chemical biology major at Harvard before joining Peter Thiel’s 20 Under 20 Fellowship, which awards $100,000 to 20 entrepreneurs under the age of 20 every year. Prior to developing Sprayable Energy, he started a number of ventures in the ecommerce space. Ben eventually met Deven Soni, a former VC investor and they partnered to become co-Founders of Sprayable Energy.
Sprayable Energy is an odorless and colorless caffeine spray you apply directly to your skin for a boost of energy. Under the guidance of his father, who is a PhD in chemistry and holds several patents focused on how substances can be better absorbed through the skin, the pair spent countless hours experimenting with the product and developing the formulation for their products. The final product is touted as being the world’s first caffeine based topical energy spray that provides a steady stream of energy for hours without the crash of coffee or energy drinks.
After testing and using the product themselves and running trials with friends, family and strangers, they are now ready for the rest of the world to experience Sprayable Energy and the ‘end of tired’.
Ben’s advice to other kid entrepreneurs:
“When starting out, never think of failure.”