After Inject, ANABOX smart, Brot Stöcki, Butteboard, Nylam, ROOTERY Coffee step in front of the lions
#DHDL
The lions roar again! This Monday Vox is going to “The Lions’ Den” again. In the current episode, After Inject, ANABOX smart, Brot Stöcki, Butteboard, Nylam and ROOTERY Coffee pitch.
Now in its 19th season, the successful VOX start-up show “The Lions’ Den” (DHDL) is once again all about spectacular business ideas, extraordinary pitches and competitive deals. The lion jury this spring season includes the Regal Lion Ralf Dümmelthe venture capital lioness Janna Entsthalerthe Sales Lion Carsten Maschmeyerthe beauty lioness Judith Williamsthe family lioness Dagmar Wöhrl and the startup lion Frank Thelen.
The DHDL startups of the week
After Inject from Berlin
From the police service to the beauty world: Laura Valentin (29) gave up her secure job as a criminal police officer to set up her own cosmetics startup. Their mission: a natural alternative to Botox. With her company After Inject, she presents a natural botulinum serum in the cave that is supposed to visibly reduce wrinkles – without any injections. The founder relies on a specially developed active ingredient complex made up of three components that are intended to smooth and tighten the skin. An effectiveness study should prove the effects. The application is simple, the promise is big and the numbers are impressive: Last year, Laura achieved around two million euros in sales with her anti-aging line, and did so profitably. Sales are currently primarily carried out online via our own shop and platforms such as Amazon. But in the cave, it’s not just sales that count. The lions take a critical look: How deep does Laura’s product knowledge really go? How reliable is the concept behind the “natural Botox alternative”? And can she successfully develop her strongly marketing-driven business in the long term? The founder is offering ten percent of her company for 200,000 euros and hopes to reach the next step in growth with a deal. Can Laura Valentin convince the lions with her mix of performance marketing and beauty innovation?
ANABOX smart from Leipzig
It’s a constant worry for many families: Is grandma really taking her medication – correctly? What happens if a dose is missed? This is exactly the problem that drives the founders of ANABOX smart. Robert Gühne (34), Chris Walter (34), Daniel Böber (34) and Jürgen Burkert (66) present a medication dispenser that is not only intended to make everyday life easier for older people, but also gives relatives a bit of security back. “We want to help older people live independently for longer,” is the goal of the founders. You are addressing an issue that affects millions of families. The system works very simply: the box flashes and signals when medication needs to be taken. Sensors record whether the removal has actually taken place. Relatives can use an app to see in real time whether everything is going according to plan and are automatically notified if a dose is forgotten. Particularly practical: The device works completely independently without WiFi or complicated setup by the users themselves – a decisive advantage for the older target group. The social relevance is high: According to the World Health Organization, around half of all patients do not take their medication correctly. With ANABOX smart, the founders want to specifically solve this problem and at the same time relieve the burden on relatives. They are offering 15 percent of their company for 180,000 euros and are hoping for a strong sales partner to successfully establish their product on the market. Do the lions recognize the potential of smart medication aid?
Battle pitch
This season there is also the battle pitch: two founders (teams) compete against each other in a one-minute short pitch – but only one of them gets the chance to present its product in full to the lions. Who can fight for a deal and who has to leave “The Lion’s Den” immediately?
Bread Stöcki from Hagen
Christian Nowack (41)
Offer: 10,000 euros for 13 percent of the company shares
Butteboard from Wipperfürth
Daniel Muntean (44)
Offer: 30,000 euros for 15 percent of the company shares
Blatantly wrong decision? In the fifth episode there is another founder battle: In the 60-second pitch, Christian Nowak (41) competes with his Brot Stöcki product against Daniel Muntean (44) and his Butterboard. While the loser is on the verge of tears, the winner breathes a sigh of relief. But the euphoria quickly fizzles out. Tech investor Frank Thelen finds clear words for the winning product and advises the founder to discontinue it immediately. Did the investors bet on the wrong founder in the battle?
Nylam from Heilbronn
One small tear, one wrong moment and there it is: the running stitch. For many women it is an everyday annoyance that not only costs nerves but also creates tons of waste. “Tights are sold in millions and thrown away just as quickly. We have to change that,” explain Arta (32) and Mergim (34) Klimenta. The couple want to rethink a seemingly banal product and present Nylam in the Cave, a solution that is intended to make tights significantly more resistant. Her idea: a special spray that strengthens the fine fibers of tights and thus protects them from damage. The application is simple: spray on, let it dry and the textiles should be more robust against friction and small loads. The effect is demonstrated directly in front of the lions: While untreated tights tear even under light use, the treated version is significantly more resistant. In addition to the practical benefits, Arta and Mergim see above all a sustainable approach: fewer broken tights also mean less resource consumption and less waste. But is a clever product alone enough? The lions primarily question the business model and marketing strategy. The founders are offering 30 percent of their company for 100,000 euros and hope to enter the mass market together with an investor. Can an everyday problem become a million-dollar business?
ROOTERY Coffee from A-Reitdorf near Salzburg
A real high-flyer in the cave: founded at the age of 17, studying parallel to her Abitur – and now she is standing in front of the lions at just 18 years old. Angelina Widmann doesn’t shy away from a challenge! ROOTERY Coffee is the name of their product: the first capsule coffee without beans. Because for the prospective high school graduate, one thing is clear: classic coffee no longer fits into a sustainable and fair world for her. The ecological burden caused by long transport routes is too great and the social conditions during cultivation are too critical. “For me, this isn’t just a capsule – it’s a revolution that started in my childhood room and is now set to become big,” says the founder. Instead, roasted root granules are added to the cup. The roasted chicory root is said to provide a coffee-like aroma, is caffeine-free and also contains fiber and antioxidants. The manufacturing process is deliberately designed to be sustainable: short transport routes, plant raw materials from Europe and compostable capsules. In addition, the startup follows a social approach. For every pack sold, a meal is financed for a child in need. Can the young entrepreneur also score points with the lion pride in terms of taste? Angelina offers 25 percent of her company for 85,000 euros and hopes for a partner who will make her vision great.
Tip: Everything about the Vox founder show can be found in our big one DHDL section.
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