Nicole Oudes pitches Heartbeat Revival at DHDL and lands a deal with Ralf Dümmel. Gründerszene asked what happened next.
“Who is ready to save lives with me?” Nicole Oudes asks the investors during her pitch to The Lions’ Den (DHDL). She works as a paramedic and first aid trainer – and is the founder of a product that is intended to help in exactly this case in an emergency.
With Heartbeat Revival, the 38-year-old is presenting a portable sound device that provides step-by-step voice instructions for resuscitation in an emergency – whether for babies, children or adults. The device fits on a key chain, can check breathing, make an emergency call and display the correct rhythm for chest compressions via an integrated metronome.
Production in our own workshop
She sold 52 devices in four weeks through her online shop, mostly through contacts from her first aid courses, Oudes says on the show. At the time of broadcast, a device still cost 49.98 euros. At the time the photo was taken, everything was produced by her herself: from 3D printing the housing to programming the circuit board – in her small workshop at home.
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“This feeling of helping other people makes me very happy. I have helper syndrome and I can’t ignore it,” says Oudes. With her product she wants to take away people’s fear of first aid and break down hurdles.
Mission instead of millions
Oudes offers the lions 160,000 euros for 20 percent of their company. Their vision: comprehensive availability right into private households. “I don’t want to become a millionaire, it’s really a mission,” emphasizes the founder.
The lions are allowed to become rescuers themselves in the show: Antonia, Oude’s companion, feigns fainting – Dagmar Wöhrl immediately rushes to help. Ralf Dümmel also tests the device and is convinced that first aid is easy for him to understand and implement.
The other lions also seem enthusiastic – but there are also skeptical questions: Carsten Maschmeyer asks about a smartphone version of the device, an app. Oudes then explains that she deliberately chose not to: “The battery could be empty, I could have no network. It’s about helping even if we can’t call the emergency services.”
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Deal with Ralph Dummel
One investor is particularly impressed by Heartbeat Revival: Ralf Dümmel wants to invest 160,000 euros for 20 percent. He says: “Nicole, you really touch me. Money is not number one for you, but helping. I believe that I am the right lion for you. Not only because of the product, but also because of the person behind it.”
Maschmeyer gets out, but has words of praise for the founder: “I wouldn’t have let you leave here without a deal. Dümmel suits you better. You are a benchmark role model for many founders.” Also Janna Ensthaler and Dagmar Wöhrl withdraw now that an investor has been found. Ensthaler says: “I’m pretty convinced that the other ones here have the better package and for that reason alone I’m out.”
Deal is made
Dümmel and Oudes hug each other: “Amazing performance, great product, and we both save lives together.” The founder leaves the cave with a deal in her pocket. Gründerszene asked: Did the deal actually come about after the recording?
As a spokesman for Ralf Dümmel announced upon request, the deal was made after the show was recorded. The first adjustments to the price have already been made: The product is now available online at a significantly lower price – a single device now costs 19.99 euros. A request to founder Nicole Oudes remains unanswered.
