Nylam wants to make tights more durable and is offering 30 percent of the company shares in DHDL for 100,000 euros. In the end, Ralf Dümmel gets the deal.
Once you’re not paying attention and bang, there it is: the running stitch. For many, it’s a brief moment that sends the tights straight out of the game. This is exactly the problem that the couple Arta Klimenta (32) and Mergim Klimenta (34) want to solve. They pitch their startup Nylam in the “Lion’s Den” and offer 100,000 euros for 30 percent of the company shares.
Her idea is simple: a spray for tights. Spray it on, let it dry and, in the best case scenario, the material will last longer.
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“Tights are sold in the millions and thrown away just as quickly. We have to change that,” says Arta Kliementa on the show. An on-site test using sandpaper shows that the treated tights can withstand more than the untreated ones. Judith Williams reacts directly: “Well, that’s sensational.” But the whole thing doesn’t work without restrictions. The spray must be reapplied after each wash.
Four months on the market
When the founders appear in “The Lion’s Den,” the product has been available for four months, as they say. So far, they have only been sold via their own online shop – a total of around 140 cans until the pitch in the show. Despite the manageable numbers, the founders have clear plans. Mergim Klimenta says: “Our plan is that we will achieve sales of 320,000 euros in the first year and 620,000 euros in the second year.”
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As always, the lions also want to hear the first numbers. According to the founders, a can of Nylam cost 5.99 euros at the time of the show, and production costs 1.72 euros. The spray currently costs 6.99 euros in the online shop, and there is also a set of two for 12.99 euros and a set of four for 20.97 euros.
Doubts in the cave
The practical test shows the product’s limitations: According to the founders, the spray only works on tights between 15 and 40 DEN. Janna Ensthaler and Dagmar Wöhrl try it on their own thinner tights (eight and twelve DEN). You spray, rub with sandpaper, and a ladder is immediately created. Carsten Maschmeyer reacts skeptically: “I don’t have the feeling it will be the investment of my life.” He gets out. Williams also sees problems: “I don’t see the competence to build a company.” Ensthaler doubts less about the product than about the overall model: “The business model is still too shy.” In addition, the topic doesn’t fit her: “I’m worried that there will be another polymer spray near me.” This means three lions are out.
Two offers on the table
Wöhrl, on the other hand, sees a fit: “We sell tights. It would fit.” She offers 100,000 euros for 30 percent. Ralf Dümmel also gets on board: “You need a lot of help in many areas. I would really like to try it with you.” He also offers 100,000 euros for 30 percent.
Deal for Dümmel
In the end, the founders choose Dümmel. In doing so, they secure the 100,000 euros for 30 percent of the company shares plus support in the next step towards trading. Even after the broadcast, it’s not just a handshake: Dümmel’s spokeswoman reveals to Gründerszene that the deal came about after the broadcast.
