It remains sustainable and digital in the “lion’s den” – and investor Tijen Onaran breaks her principles for a “loose” founder.
This has never happened before: In the seventh episode of the 14th season of “Lion’s Den” (among other things on RTL+) all five lions leave their jury thrones and curiously take a seat at the healthy table of founder Matthias Parzich, 32. The lions bite into his vegan bread with relish and enjoy it on the house. But is it enough for one of the investors to bite?
Seaweed instead of chemicals and alcohol in the cooling pad
There is agreement on the first product idea: All lions are convinced by the idea of the BIOTherma-Pad. Founder Friederike Freifrau von Rodde, 38, from Büttelborn invented a purely biological cooling pad with advice from a professor of marine microbiology. With the help of seaweed powder, your pad is intended to replace the common chemical variant, which is often mixed with industrial alcohols and toxic antifreeze.
The mother of two children, who also runs a social tailoring shop where refugees have found work, also came up with the “Trösties”. Funny hand puppets, handmade from certified organic fabrics, into which injured hands and cooling pads can be inserted.
Nils Glagau, 47, is enthusiastic: “I believe that your seaweed has potential, not just in Germany, but worldwide,” he is certain, and is already seeing “markets that we haven’t even thought of yet.” However, there are still a few catches: The pad is neither ready for the market nor is there a patent or a finished recipe. The advising professor also wants a piece of the cake. In the end, von Rodde gets her 60,000 euros, but has to give 30 percent, but has two lions on board: Tillman Schulz, 34, goes on board and von Rodde beams: “That’s so cool!”
Digital trading cards are not doing well with investors
The “Racemates” are less happy. The founders Michael Salzer, 39, from Löhne and Duc Huy Bui, 30, from Gütersloh are active in Formula 3 and want to bring trading cards into the digital age – but also establish a new form of racing sponsorship. Ralf Dümmel, 56, is amazed: “What there is!”
Duc Huy Bui distributes the limited and licensed trading cards of racing drivers, which are available in three price categories depending on the edition and whose price is also determined by demand. Salzer explains: Each trading card has “a digital certificate of authenticity” and is “secured and connected to NFTs on the blockchain.” This means they can always be assigned to their owner, who also has the rights to them.
In order to make the cards known worldwide, the founders need 500,000 euros and are offering ten percent of their start-up, which they value at five million euros – with current sales of just 13,000 euros.
That doesn’t go down well. There is a free tip from Carsten Maschmeyer, 64: “Look for professionals from motorsport, get Nico Rosberg and others,” says the lion, “who know the others and can help you.”
The lions don’t really bite the “Loggä” bread founder…
After the excursion into the digital worlds, the vegan bread mixes from “Loggä” will be hearty and solid again. Founder Matthias Parzich, 32, manages with a lot of charm to lure the lions to his set table for a snack between vegetable sticks.
The engineer from Munich developed the idea for the bread mix three years ago after changing his diet. At his company headquarters in Lichtenau, Hesse, he produces both his mixtures and the finished breads. The brand name “loggä,” on the other hand, is an import from the north and simply means “loose,” explains Parzich. And this is a reference to the particularly juicy consistency of his breads. This comes about “thanks to gold linseed flour,” reveals the hobby baker.
The investors chew with pleasure, but most are skeptical as to whether “there really is a need for a new type of bread” and are gradually leaving the table. But investor Tijen Onaran, 38, has taken the bait!
The sustainable demands, the plastic-free packaging, but also the nice nature of the founder make the lioness deviate from her iron principles: “There is a big exception happening today,” she admits sheepishly, because she would actually only invest in women’s projects. Your “portfolio alien,” as Onaran spontaneously dubbed the male founder, gets the commitment for 50,000 euros at 15 percent. Parzich beams: The deal suits him “like a glove!”
The fantasy app finds praise – but no investor
Things are imaginative for the founding duo Marc Hertel and Michaela Kasper from Mannheim. The idea of the TV director (including “Cobra 11”) and the product designer: They want to offer families a more imaginative alternative to video games, smartphones and television.
Using their “MyMonsi” app, children between the ages of four and 9 can choose from radio plays and scenes. But in contrast to conventional radio plays, a narrator’s voice guides the children to actively immerse themselves in these worlds. Two girls present how they convert the sofa into a pirate ship or the chair into a pony. The soundscape continues and children can let their imagination run wild to continue the story.
The idea was well received in the daycare test, assures Michaela Kasper and would like 200,000 for a 20 percent share in the company. The money will come into the cash register via subscriptions – all content will be activated for 14.95 euros per month. Subscription customers are to be won via print advertising and social media. But the lions wave away in unison. Nils Glagau sums it up: “Charming idea, but not yet fully developed.” The price is also too high for him. Founder Kasper is disappointed, but wants to “keep going anyway.”
Maschmeyer laughs about the .io domain: “That means ‘Okay’!”
JobSwop.io founders Jan Meier, 32, Felix Nawroth, 34, and Frank Burian, 41, from Chemnitz, find that commuters waste far too much time traveling to their jobs. And do the math: Anyone who has 90 minutes of travel time every day spends 14 days a year just on the way there and back!
The algorithm of their new job app is intended to remedy this “waste of life” and enable job swaps in a similar way to swapping university places. Until now, jobs only become visible after termination – but employees willing to exchange can also advertise their jobs for exchange in the founders’ app.
The founders are certain: This would also counteract the shortage of skilled workers, as it would improve working conditions for many. Nils Glagau is skeptical, how is an exchange supposed to work if people have different wages? Financing is also still thin – if the placement is successful, a fee of a maximum of two percent of the annual salary is charged.
Carsten Maschmeyer is also skeptical: “The idea is gold, but the way you’ve done it so far is rubbish!” Nevertheless, he wants to take on the trio, but sees a different area of application: “I will connect you with my start-ups,” and emphasizes what the founders will face: “A lot of work!” Instead of the required 15, the surcharge is only available at 20 percent – but for the proud investment sum of 180,000 euros. The trio cheers and Maschmeyer asks the group in surprise: “Did I negotiate badly?”