Sun Matters initially landed a deal with Carsten Maschmeyer at DHDL, but it later fell through, causing great disappointment.
Sunscreen usually sounds more like a must-have than a lifestyle. That’s exactly what two founders from Berlin want to change now. Stella Hinderer and Karla Emcke present their startup Sun Matters in “The Lions’ Den”, with a clear mission: sun protection should become an integral part of daily skincare. Your offer is 100,000 euros for 20 percent of the company shares.
From beauty legacy to your own startup
Hinderer not only brings startup experience from the venture capital environment, but also a family connection to the beauty industry. Her grandfather was involved in founding the perfumery chain. This proximity to the cosmetics industry runs through her career, which is why she now wants to build her own brand, Sun Matters.
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Emcke joins the duo as the first employee in the creative area. The two met on a business blind date from the startup scene. Since then, they have clearly divided their roles: strategy and business on the one hand, brand world and product design on the other.
The product: light texture, new formula
The focus of the pitch is a sunscreen that is supposed to be different from classic products. The founders rely on a light, odorless texture and what they claim is the world’s first certified microbiome-friendly formula. The cream should not only protect the skin, but also actively support the skin barrier. They also work with skin-friendly preservation systems. Certifications such as PETA and Reef Safe are intended to underline the sustainability profile.
The range is supplemented by nutritional supplements that are intended to support skin care “from the inside”.
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At the time of the broadcast, the company is still shortly before its official market launch. The goal is 200,000 euros in sales in the current year, sales will be primarily via our own online shop and through Douglas as a retail partner.
Appearance in front of the lions
After the pitch, Carsten Maschmeyer says: “I got very serious skin cancer and have an aversion to greasy creams. I have the feeling that I would like to apply cream to myself with your cream. I should have gotten to know the cream sooner, then I would have been spared five operations.”
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Frank Thelen, on the other hand, doesn’t see a clear unique selling point: “I’m a fan of sunscreen but unfortunately I don’t think your product is strong. You don’t have a USP. That doesn’t suit me, that’s why I’m out.” Judith Williams agrees with him and also refuses. Dagmar Wöhrl and Ralf Dümmel also drop out. Wöhrl lacks clear differentiation, Dümmel points to existing investments in the segment.
The deal with Machmeyer falls through – and he is very disappointed
Maschmeyer makes an offer: “I have an enormous emotional story on the topic and I think you’re great. I’ll give you 20 percent for 100,000 euros. I want to be your founding father.” The founders accept the offer.
But: The deal that came about on the show fell through when asked by the Gründerszene. Maschmeyer was subsequently disappointed with the development: “The founders have worsened the originally agreed conditions for the investor in a way that has never been experienced before.”
In the conversations after the show, the founders suddenly demanded 750,000 euros for 5 percent instead of 100,000 euros for 20 percent – a 30-fold valuation, he says. For Maschmeyer, this is absurd: “No lion has experienced such an excessive and selfish renegotiation since the show began.”
Hinderer tells Gründerszene that the company has “developed extraordinarily” since the recording. “The negotiations after the show showed that our company development and valuation requires a different investment structure than originally discussed in the show,” said the founder to Gründerszene.
Means: Sun Matters now has to continue without the originally announced lion.