Indian-origin inventor Rahul Agarwal recently secured a $350,000 (~ ₹3.33 crore) deal on USA by pitching a reimagined version of an everyday product: a spoon. But it isn’t just any spoon. It is a measuring spoon that folds flat when not in use and is magnetic, allowing it to stick to your refrigerator. The founder of Polygons Design, Agarwal, gave the mundane kitchen tool a new form, combining its measuring function with a design that makes it easier to store.
Reportedly inspired by origami, Agarwal created a flexible version of the traditional spoon, earning more than 20 international design awards.
Who is Rahul Agarwal?
According to his LinkedIn profile, Agarwal is the founder of Polygon Designs and currently lives in the US. He holds a bachelor’s degree in design from the National Institute of Design, with a background in industrial, product, and UX design.
Before founding Polygons Designs, Agarwal held several design and teaching roles. He worked as a designer at Ahmedabad-based Inventindia Innovations between 2013 and 2014, followed by a role as a consultant designer at Storebound between 2014 and 2015. He also served as a faculty member in design and innovation at the Indian Institute of Technology (), Gandhinagar.
In 2016, he became the chief design officer at Trip In Inc. He later spent a month as a visiting professor at the National Institute of Design before founding Polygons Designs in October 2016.
What is Polygons?
Polygons is a foldable measuring spoon set that replaces six traditional measuring spoons with just two flat and flexible tools that can fold into different sizes when pinched at marked points.
The larger spoon offers three measurements: half a tablespoon, one tablespoon, and two tablespoons, while the smaller version measures a quarter, half, or one teaspoon.
Both fold down to a thickness of just 2.8 mm and are made from food-grade thermoplastic and hydrophobic silicone, with neodymium embedded inside.
In a press release, the company explained, “Polygons replaces a conventional six-piece measuring spoon set with two fold-flat tools, each 2.8 mm (0.1 inch) thin. Pinch one at a marked point, and it folds into that exact measure: 1/2, 1, or 2 tablespoons on the large spoon, and 1/4, 1/2, or 1 teaspoon on the small one.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Agarwal has sold over 250,000 measuring spoon sets in more than 120 countries, and the sets have also been sold at , Williams-Sonoma, and Uncommon Goods.
Polygons’ Shark Tank deal: What we know
Agarwal’s design appeared on episode 4 of season 18 of the business reality show , where actor and producer Mindy Kaling was a guest shark. Following his pitch, Agarwal secured a deal of $350,000 from Lori Greiner and Mindy Kaling, which he accepted in exchange for eight per cent equity plus two per cent advisory shares.
Kaling applauded the product, calling it “really ingenious” and “very useful” on the episode that aired last week. The deal valued his company at $3.5 million.