page_title: Focus Designs
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Focus Designs / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Daniel Wood riding a self-balancing bicycle.
context_page_description: Focus Designs is an American based designer and distributor of self-balancing unicycles. It is known as the first company to build and release the first commercially available self-balancing unicycle. The company appeared in a 2012 episode of the Shark Tank where it was offered funding from the Sharks.
context_section_description: Focus Designs was incorporated in 2007 by Daniel Wood. He had been working at U.S. Digital in Vancouver, Washington and built a prototype that he rode in the parking lot of the company. After being laid off from the company, Wood decided to pursue the hobby of a self-balancing unicycle. The company began with Wood building a prototype in his garage which he converted from a Nimbus unicycle. David Martschinske, another former U.S. Digital employee, joined Focus Designs in 2011 and helped pitch the idea on the Shark Tank in 2012. 
  Focus Designs received its first angel round of investments in 2011. Focus Designs attempted to receive additional funding for the company with the help of the ABC television show Shark Tank. Wood and Martschinske pitched the product on the show and eventually were offered a $300,000 investment for 30% of the company.  They accepted the offer on the show, but they eventually turned down.
  The company began with distribution in the United States, but also distributes the vehicle through a Japanese partner and is said to be expanding distribution to other parts of the world including Europe and the Russian market, which they entered in 2011.
caption: Daniel Wood, inventor of commercially available self-balancing unicycle, and founder of Focus Designs.
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