ATLANTA COMPANY ON ‘SHARK TANK’ TONIGHT,

Protective cases for gadgets are a dime a dozen, but Josh Inglis hopes he and his business partner can prove on ABC’S “Shark Tank” their Phoozy company is worth investing in. Their segment is set to air today at 8 p.m.

Longtime Atlanta resident Inglis, 44, and his Charlotte buddy, Kevin Conway, have been selling the Phoozy for four years but hope one or more of the Shark Tank investors will help them expand distribution.

“This is the Super Bowl for small businesses,” said Conway. “I am excited and a bit nervous how they edit us.”

Conway, 42, was a professional race car driver, including NASCAR, and remains an avid surfer, snowboarder and cyclist. He came up with the Phoozy idea in 2016 after becoming frustrated when his phone would shut down when it either overheated or became too cold.

With consultation from rocket scientists, engineers and other specialists, he helped develop a proprietary material that enabled phones to handle extreme temperatures using comparable technology in spacesuits and race cars. The final result was the Phoozy, which allows gadgets to survive severe drops and float in water instead of sink to the bottom of a lake or ocean.

Depending on the device and type of Phoozy, prices range from $30 to $70. The company sells directly off its website as well as on Amazon and many REI stores. Locally, it’s available at Peter Glenn Ski & Sports.

Inglis, who spent 15 years at Home Depot in marketing technology, finance and analytics and has an MBA from Emory University, had his own share of issues with phones while on skiing and scuba diving trips. After months of prodding, Conway was able to convince Inglis to leave the comforts of Home Depot and become

the chief operating officer and co-founder of Phoozy.

The Phoozy twosome taped their episode last year. It featured regular Sharks Mark Cuban, Kevin O’leary, Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec, as well as recurring Shark Daniel Lubetzky, a Mexican American billionaire founder and executive chairman of snack company Kind.

Whether the Sharks even bite, “Shark Tank” itself is a great promotional tool for any entrepreneur.

Inglis wouldn’t provide financial details before the segment airs on TV but said business grew after the pandemic began, in part because people had more time to pick up outdoor sports where phone safety is a more pressing issue.

Coming from a family of self-starting business owners, he said it’s a dream come true just to be on “Shark Tank,” which has been on air for 12 seasons.

“Make sure you have a good story,” Inglis said. “Know your numbers. All the usual stuff. It was just an out-of-body experience to be there in front of the Sharks.”

The company is prepping its warehouses and website for a bevy of orders.

COURTESY Kevin Conway (left) and Atlantan Josh Inglis will try to get one of the Sharks to invest in their company, which makes protective cases for gadgets.