“The Lion’s Den”
Glitter sticks and hard rock perfumes
Hard rock star Axel Rudi Pell goes under the perfumers
© Photo: RTL / Bernd-Michael Maurer
In the season finale, the founders try to impress with jumping rope, horseback riding, AI, perfumes and rolling furniture in the “Lion’s Den”.
For the season finale it gets wild again in “Die Höhle der Löwen” (Monday, 8:15 p.m., VOX): weights for jumping rope, glitter for horses, touch tablecloths for restaurants, knight scents for hard rock fans and rollers for washing machines and Co.
Moritz Lienert (29) and Julian Fuchs (31) explain to the lions that jumping rope is more effective than jogging or cycling – and how they want to do it even better. Their Everjump skipping rope system is a hybrid of hardware and software. The ropes come in different weight classes and with “smart” handles that send the heart rate to the associated app. Nico Rosberg (36) tries the heaviest rope and is “completely out of breath!”
The two entrepreneurs who are enthusiastic about sports are offering ten percent of their company shares for 200,000 euros. But the investors are not really convinced. Rosberg asks Georg Kofler (65) if he’s interested, and he shakes his head. When everyone else got out, Kofler surprisingly changed his mind. However, he wants 25.1 percent of the shares, the founders only want to give up 15 – ultimately no deal is made.
“Life without glitter is bleak”
The next founder, Alexandra Knabbe (53), rides into “The Lion’s Den” with her daughter and stallion. Her “Stable Magic Wand” is said to improve communication between rider and horse. The glittering magic wand from the 3D printer looks extremely simple, but is intended to ensure that the animal is not hurt despite the bridle. For this purpose, the stick is held between the hands with the reins taken up and shows through the heart in the middle whether the reins are being guided in the middle over the horse.
When asked by Judith Williams (50) whether the whole thing also exists without glitter, Knabbe replies succinctly: “No, life without glitter is just bleak.” Carsten Maschmeyer (63) is already tearing his eyes, he has to give the animals a wide berth due to his strong horse hair allergy. However, the sovereign appearance of the riding instructor lures Ralf Dümmel (55) out of the stable: He offers 50,000 euros for 33 percent of the company shares – the horse lover accepts the deal with joy.
The touch tablecloth
Mihai Dumitrescu (40), Julian Meier (32) and Dr. Siwanand Misara (40) invented a technology that uses projection to transform the tablecloth in a restaurant into an interactive surface. For example, the menu is projected onto the table and can be operated like a touchscreen. The technology also recognizes empty glasses and automatically offers a repeat order. Even children have been thought of – they can play with the system without actually ordering anything. The lions are amazed by the technology, but also question why it should make more money than a server. Judith Williams (50), who worked in the catering trade for a long time as a teenager, even takes it personally: “It sounds to me that you assume that Lampix can sell better than me.”
The founders explain that the operation should not be dismissed, but relieved. However, Rosberg has concerns about further digitizing the restaurant experience. Maschmeyer also no longer wants to order via touchscreens like during the pandemic: “I think your timing is bad.” In his opinion, guests in the post-corona period “don’t want to click anymore, they want to talk.” Dagmar Wöhrl (68), who owns over 80 restaurants herself, has tasted blood and hesitantly decides: “Ok, I’m really going to take the risk here”. Even the other lions are surprised: “What a twist!” said Dümmel. She wants 25 percent for 250,000 euros – and gets it too.
Hard rockers on fragrant detours
Next it will be loud: hard rock musician Axel Rudi Pell (60) would like to devote himself to the olfactory organ with a lion or a lioness in the future. He has developed a line of perfumes called “Knights” with the slogan: “Perfumes with a Rock’n’Roll Attitude”. The perfumes are called “Noble Forest” or “Lady Dark” and smell of forest and smoke or wood and vanilla.
Unfortunately, the lions are more convinced of the musician’s guitar skills than of the chances of success of his side business: The competition on the market deters them. The fact that the musician would put the brand on the back burner on tour, too. And the fact that he mixed the fragrances himself at home in his study is too amateurish, especially for beauty expert Williams: “You shouldn’t underestimate the work of a perfumer. It’s a very difficult science.” So the lions say goodbye to the artist without a deal and with the words: “Keep on rocking!”
World first for washing machines?
The next founders drag a washing machine into the studio and once again promise a “world first”. Geza Lakatos (43) and Jan Nordhoff (43) invented the Rollyz Berlin, a “hand truck for your pocket”. This is a handy emergency package and furniture castor system, in which the castors can be attached using adhesive pads, tension belts or screws – and a washing machine, for example, can be moved quickly. As has often been the case this season, it must first be discussed whether the invention is really a world first.
“Stop, stop, stop! There are endless transport rollers,” contradicts Dümmel. “But not with ratchet straps,” the founders recall. The fact that this practical solution is “not protected enough” means that one lion after the other quickly gets out. The business plan of the founders – “Yes, full throttle!” – convinces Dümmel nevertheless. He wants 33 percent of the company shares for 125,000 euros, more than twice as much as the founders actually wanted to give up. In return, he promises them that he will only ask for eight percent of this once he has managed to convince 10,000 branches of the product. With this promise, he convinces the founders and concludes the last deal of this season.