The Story of ZipString
At ZipString, we chase one thing above all: the Smile of Wonderment—that wide-eyed, jaw-dropped moment when curiosity turns into pure joy. It’s what drives our team to invent the most innovative, unexpected toys in the world.
Watch the video and check out the history below!
Fun fun fun for all ages! Big kids and little kids! Thanks for getting your innovative ideas to market!
— Catherine W.
Our History
2020
Train Card Protoype
It all began in December 2020, when Georgia Tech student Stephen Fazio took on a class project with one rule: build a circuit board smaller than a credit card that can do anything! Inspired by a YouTube video from Bruce Yeany showcasing a bench-top string shooter, Stephen thought, “What if you could hold it in your hand and control it at its source?” So he did. Using his train card as the template, he built the world’s first handheld flying string shooter.
2021
Circuit Board Complete!
After winning the competition this is what Stephen made.
August 1st. 2021
THE VIRAL MOMENT
Then he met Austin Hillam through church. They built a new prototype together with Austin’s father, Mark, and both Austin and Mark immediately said, “This is special. Let’s not show it off just yet."
Stephen didn’t listen.
On August 12, 2021, he posted a video on TikTok. Within hours—20 million views. That same night: front page of Reddit. Cue chaos.
2021
Kickstarter
They rushed to file patents, knowing knockoffs would come fast. Then, they paused college (Austin at BYU, Stephen at Georgia Tech), launched a successful Kickstarter, and got to work. Before their factory was ready, they hand-built the first 4,000 ZipStrings in Austin’s parents’ basement.
2022
SHARK TANK
In 2022, Stephen Fazio and Austin Hillam appeared on the hit TV show Shark Tank, and their pitch was a huge success. All five of the sharks expressed interest in the product, and the bidding quickly became intense. Since the Shark Tank episode aired, ZipString has seen a significant increase in sales and has become a household name.
2023
Luma and Dude Perfect!
After 18 months of development ZipString Luma launches. The glow in the dark ZipString
Later in the year ZipString teams up with Dude Perfect for a cobranded ZipString in Walmart.
2024
1 Million Units Sold!
- ZipString sells its millionth unit!
- ZipString expands worldwide
- ZipString Luma wins numerous awards
2025
Something Amazing is about to happen!
- ZipString Launches in Target
Over 1 Million ZipStrings Sold
Over 300 Million Views
Thousands of 5 star reviews
We've made some rounds
