Easy Exit Card at The Lions’ Den: The rescue card causes a stir – and ultimately secures the deal with Ralf Dümmel.
The idea is a credit card-sized rescue tool. The card is pushed between the window and the door seal, a short lever – and the side window breaks. This is intended to free trapped people or animals. Founder Bernd Lüke explains the background: “I’ve been in the volunteer fire department for many years. If we don’t have access to an injured person, every second counts.”
With their Easy Exit Card, the three founders want to take precautions against exactly such situations. Together with his two co-founders Stephan Pannhorst and Sylvain Victor, he is offering 25 percent of the company shares for 100,000 euros.
Read too
The card works inside and out and can be stored in your wallet or in the car. A cover protects against the thorn and also serves as a belt cutter.
The endurance test in the studio
Testing takes place in the studio. Janna Ensthaler gets to do it herself and causes the window to shatter. Her reaction: “Awesome! Really cool!” Dagmar Wöhrl asks about the legal situation: “But I can’t just smash into someone else’s car.” Lüke replies, “That’s regulated by insurance. That’s permitted assistance.”
Personal stories of the lions
The topic also hits a nerve in terms of content and the pitch quickly becomes emotional. Several lions report their own experiences. “The car rolled over several times. People saved our lives,” says Judith Williams, remembering a car accident in her youth.
Read too
Ensthaler talks about her daughter, who locked herself in the car: “I could have gotten the car opened with this card.” Ralf Dümmel also reports on an accident: “I fell into a microsleep on the motorway and crashed into a heavy transport vehicle. I couldn’t get out of the car. That was extremely dramatic.” Ensthaler puts it succinctly: “You need this card for just once in your life.”
Numbers that are simple
The product is currently still a prototype. The founders come from the telecommunications industry and want to build the company equally. The production costs are around 3 euros and the selling price is around 12 euros. The target group is everyone who drives a car.
Three lions get out
Despite the relevance, several investors are exiting. Frank Thelen says: “That’s a great idea, but not my thing.” Williams sees the product as more in the mass market and is getting out, “It belongs very cheaply in the hardware store. That’s why I’m out.” Ensthaler also refrains: “I love this product. But you need a sales expert.”
“The real lion is sitting here”
That basically leaves only one left. Dümmel makes it short, “I think we can shorten it because the real lion is sitting here.” His offer: 100,000 euros for 25 percent. Wöhrl confirms: “I think Ralf is the right one for you.” The founders don’t think twice and say yes.
The deal stands – even after the show
This means that Easy Exit Card gets the desired 100,000 euros for 25 percent of the company shares. And unlike some deals, it doesn’t just stop at a handshake. When asked by Gründerszene, a spokeswoman for Dümmel confirmed that the deal also came about after the broadcast.