SKU celebrates an investment in DUDE Wipes by TSG Consumer a global leader in consumer-focused investing Founders Sean Riley (Chief Executive Dude), Jeff Klimkowski (CFO) and Ryan Meegan (CMO) will retain significant ownership stakes and will continue to lead the company in their current executive roles.
DUDE Wipes is an alumnus of SKU (then Incubation Station). Co-Founder and Chief Executive Dude Riley said participation in accelerator in 2013 played a key role in the early success of the company.
“We were just starting out, no experience, we only had $10K, we really didn’t know what we were doing,” said Riley. “We came down to SKU and really got our retail MBA. We were really able to learn a bunch about the CPG market. It’s kind of crazy how far we’ve come now to be this brand that’s available nationwide that sells millions of dollars and all that good stuff. But it all started from the ground up. Entrepreneurs need to stay with it because the beginning is just the beginning.’
From IDea to Cultural Phenomenon
Founded in 2011, longtime friends Riley, Meegan, Klimkowski, and John Ricci, DUDE Wipes began as a simple idea: flushable wipes for men who wanted a better bathroom experience. What started in a Chicago apartment evolved into a cultural phenomenon.
The brand went viral early on with its bold marketing, landed a memorable deal on Shark Tank in 2015, and grew into a $200 million-dollar business sold in retailers nationwide, from Walmart to Target to Amazon. DUDE Wipes is the No. 1 flushable wipe for men in the U.S., with a portfolio that has expanded beyond wipes to include face and body products.
Shark Mark Cuban says “DUDE Wipes is the best Shark Tank investment I’ve ever made. The team built an iconic brand by staying authentic, having fun, and outworking everyone. I can’t wait to keep wiping with the DUDEs in this next chapter.”
The brand has continued to innovate with unique formats (singles, extra large) and scents, including Herbal Relief, Shea Butter Smooth, Mint Chill and holiday themed Dumpkin Spice and Dingle Bells. DUDE Wipes recently launched bubble-gum flavorted Lil’ DUDE Wipes for the younger set.
As the brand has grown, it has maintained its signature “DUDE” voice and loyal fan base and hustle. Booths at trade shows have featured a mobile restroom, a giant inflatable walk-through butt and a car with a large poop on top.
Betting on “Awesome DUDES”
For SKU, the deal is a proud moment, exemplifying the accelerator’s mission to empower visionary founders and help them build brands that matter. DUDE Wipes’ story reinforces that with grit, authenticity, and the right community of support, bold ideas can lead to massive success.
This marks the second major liquidity event of the year for a SKU alumnus. Earlier this year, Siete was acquired by PepsiCo in a landmark $1.2 billion deal. Siete participated in SKU’s fourth cohort in 2015.Looking back, SKU Founder Shari Wynne Ressler said SKU could tell early on that DUDE Wipes had huge potential.
“We picked DUDE WIPES because Sean and Team were awesome dudes on a mission to innovate the wipe market with a kick-ass brand. They are authentic, enthusiastic founders with a stellar product, and we thank them for coming down to Austin to learn with us.”
TSG had been tracking DUDE Wipes We’ve been following DUDE for a while.
“We look forward to harnessing our operational and consumer capabilities to steward the brand’s momentum in this next chapter,” according to TSG press release. “We see significant room for continued growth at DUDE, and we look forward to harnessing our
operational and consumer insights capabilities to steward the brand’s momentum in this next
chapter.”
SKU Wins Big in 2025
The DUDE Wipes team said they chose TSG because of their record of scaling personal care and consumer packaged goods brands coupled with a true focus on maintaining the core culture of the brand.
“It will help us grow and evolve our offerings. Our daily business operations will continue to operate as normal, and the product suite that our customers have come to know and love is not going anywhere. The biggest change this transaction brings is increased growth opportunities for DUDE to deliver innovative products for our loyal customers, and we can’t wait to get started.”
Riley was the keynote speaker at the Spring ’25 Showcase. He shared some entrepreneurial advice for other founders just starting out.
“Self-belief is the only thing you must have. You have to maintain the belief in the idea and the mission at all costs because there won’t always be belief from the outside world. You’ll figure the rest out.” For more information about SKU and its portfolio of brands, visit