The Lion’s Den: The oldest founder doesn’t get a deal

The lion’s den
The oldest founder doesn’t get a deal

The sixth episode of the ninth “Die Höhle der Löwen” season had some exciting pitches to offer on Monday evening. In addition to the oldest founder in the history of the VOX show, four young people also impressed with an app that should enable children to have a happier life. Which products did Judith Williams (49), Dagmar Wöhrl (66), Carsten Maschmeyer (61), Ralf Dümmel (54), Nico Rosberg (35), Georg Kofler (63) and Nils Glagau (45) buy?

Environmentally friendly flower pot

It got flowery right from the start: The siblings Alexander (31) and Antonia Cox (25) have been working on an environmentally friendly solution for disposable plastic plant pots for five years. With a deal by the lions they want to revolutionize the flower market. Your company POTTBURRI sells pots made of sunflower meal, which are buried in the ground and completely eaten up by microorganisms in the ground. Environmentally friendly but expensive, so the first conclusion of the lions.

Above all, the fact that the exclusive rights of the material manufacturer have not yet been secured in the long term, initially deterred some investors. Ralf Dümmel, however, remains enthusiastic and grabs: “I’ll find you awesome and I’ll push the doors open for you.” He wants to bring the product to all hardware stores in the future and sees great potential in doing so. Be honest: “You have a lot of work to do.” For 150,000 euros, a 20 percent share goes to the founder’s dream lion.

Spread without palm oil and industrial sugar

Ebru Erkunt (42) has been trying to get one of the coveted places for her presentation at “Die Höhle der Löwen” for five years. Now it finally worked: “I am very happy to be here and a lifelong dream of mine is now coming true!” The woman from Hamburg presents the Löwen with her own hazelnut-nougat cream hazel heart in organic quality, completely without palm oil and industrial sugar, but with “crunchy and aromatic” hazelnuts from Turkey.

At the beginning of their appearance, a few tears flow with happiness. After she presented her different types of cream, Erkunt die Löwen also delights with her brand new chocolate with whole hazelnuts. The lions found it delicious when tasting, but initially the company’s figures put them off. Only 43,000 euros in sales were posted last year, almost half of the sales from the previous year. Once again, Ralf Dümmel is the only one to submit an offer. He buys 25 percent of the company for 80,000 euros.

Individual coffee foam

Angelo (31) and Sandro (27) are the founders of Coffee Colorato. In 2017 Angelo had the idea to use drinks as a marketing tool. They present the lions their special coffee printer for personalized drinks. The technology makes it possible to print any motif – whether a logo, photo or lettering – on the pre-made coffee. The cartridges are filled with tasteless food coloring and each foamy surface can be designed individually. The two founders have already sold 275 of these devices.

After the initial skepticism of the Lions, however, the interest grows bigger as they find out about the large sales that the two of them have already been able to reap. It is not enough for a sole deal, but two lions bite better than one: Carsten Maschmeyer and Dagmar Wöhrl. The two lions take over 175,000 euros for 25 percent. “I see great potential here at trade fairs, large kitchens or even in catering,” Wöhrl explains her new participation.

Novel photo tripod

Gert Wagner (83) is a photographer, filmmaker and the oldest founder ever to present his product at “Die Höhle der Löwen”. Together with his son Tobias (42), he founded Swift Design in 2016, and they developed various gadgets for his profession. Now he and his son present their pocket-sized Steadify camera stabilizer. “This makes the camera stable and weightless, which enables sharp photos and smooth video pans with full mobility and plenty of room for spontaneity,” says Gert Wagner, explaining the advantages.

In order to establish their product on the market, father and son need an investment of 350,000 euros for 20 percent of the company shares. The two have been on the market for three years and have already sold 6,000 pieces, but then there was a kink. The business has been idle for a long time. Too risky for the Lions to start again. Above all, Nico Rosberg became clear: “I am not convinced of your competence as an entrepreneur.” Unfortunately, father and son go home without a deal.

Happier children thanks to the new app

A happy life begins in the head – that’s what Jean Ochel (30), who provided the idea behind Aumio, and his friends Simon Senkl (29), Felix Noller (33) and Tilman Wiewinner (30) have made their motto. According to current studies, around a quarter of all children show mental health problems. That’s about six children per school class and this number rose again during the Corona crisis. Unfortunately, very few people get support to deal with stress, anxiety and sleep problems. Therefore, the four founders have developed an app for relaxation and meditation for children.

“With Aumio, children learn through playful stories, exercises and meditations how to deal with mental challenges,” explains Jean Ochel. There are various courses and radio plays that are specifically designed to relieve symptoms of ADHD, difficulty falling asleep, or anxiety. All courses and exercises are based on scientifically sound methods that are also used in psychotherapy. Aumio should also be certified as a medical product so that pediatricians and therapists can prescribe the app in the future.

Can the founders convince the lions with their digital coach? Your offer: 150,000 euros for ten percent of the company’s shares. And the investors are completely enthusiastic: Nils Glagau, Dagmar Wörl and Carsten Maschmeyer immediately started whispering during the pitch. But all offers are turned down. Initially, Maschmeyer and Glagau wanted 20 percent, then Wörl and Maschmeyer 15 percent. Too much for the owners: they are willing to sell a maximum of 12 percent. In the end, despite the overwhelming response, they go home empty-handed.

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