The Ankerkraut founders, Anne and Stefan Lemcke, are back as guest lions: together with Frank Thelen, they are investing 500,000 euros in the startup Supernutural, which has developed a nut butter machine.
In 2016 they were in front of the investors themselves, now they are on the other side: Anne and Stefan Lemcke, the founders of Ankerkraut, are once again appearing as guest lions in the current episode of “The Lions’ Den”. This is not the couple’s first appearance in the investors’ chairs – they were already invited as guest lions in 2021.
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From the spice rack to the lion chairs
Your own story on the show began around ten years ago. At that time, the Lemckes pitched their spice startup to investors and made a deal with Frank Thelen. Today the company has around 250 employees and, according to its own information, achieves an annual turnover of around 50 million euros. The two have now invested themselves, according to Stefan Lemcke, in around 30 startups. So now they are looking at “The Lion’s Den” for potential investments.
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Guest lion with ice bath experience
However, the job as a guest lion does not remain relaxed. At the pitch of the startup Pool.Down, which has developed a system for cold therapy in the bathtub, Anne Lemcke tests the product herself and climbs into the ice tub: “Let’s do it. Then I’ll do it with my dress if you all don’t dare.” In fact, no one on the show expected that.
The startup is demanding 200,000 euros for ten percent of the company shares. However, the startup does not get a deal on the show. Investors like the idea, but consider it to be too immature. At least there remains proof that sometimes you don’t just have to keep a cool head, but also your whole body, to pitch in the cave.
Nut cream instead of spice
There is still an investment for the guest lions – together with Frank Thelen. The three invest in the startup Supernutural. The founders Amelie and Timo Sperber present a machine for the home that can be used to make fresh nut cream from whole nuts.
According to the founders, a larger version of the machine is already in use in the B2B sector, for example in hotels or companies. The show is now about the smaller version for end consumers. The Sperbers are offering 6.25 percent of their company for 500,000 euros. Stefan Lemke is immediately enthusiastic: “It’s really extraordinarily tasty, you really have to say that. But it has to be at least eight percent.” He continues: “I think the product is really great. I also really believe that you can change something about the product so that the price goes down.”
After consultation, the three investors offer a total of 500,000 euros for ten percent of the company shares, whereupon the founders accept the offer. This ends the episode for the Lemckes with a deal, but this time as part of the investor round. When we asked Gründerszene, we learned from Thelen’s spokesman that the deal with Supernutural came about after the broadcast.
