"Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" episode 5/2: Lions show a fine nose

The 2nd episode of "Die Höhle der Löwen" started with delicious dumplings this time. But are the lions and lionesses also "dumpling addicts"? "Madame Sum" is a delivery service for frozen dumplings and was presented by co-founders Arnaud Verschueren and Yves Jäger from Dübendorf. At the heart of their business is the quality of their dumplings, which they aim to continuously develop and create new recipes to ensure that customers always enjoy the best taste experiences. With an impressive turnover of 3.5 million Swiss francs and a strong reputation, they have already gained a loyal following of 7000 "dumpling addicts". Their aim is to expand into the German market and they are looking for an investment of 600,000 Swiss Francs for 5% of the company shares.

According to Madame Sum, its delivery capability throughout Switzerland sets it apart. Their frozen dumplings are hot and ready to serve in just 7 minutes. They supply selected catering partners and retail outlets. B2B sales account for 16% of their turnover. Quality and taste are paramount and no product is launched unless it is perfect, according to the founders. They even run a test phase with the "Dumpling Addict Club" to make sure their customers are happy with new products before making them available on their website.

In 2022, they already achieved sales of 1.6 million Swiss francs. With a growing presence in Europe and estimated sales projections of 1.1 billion US dollars by 2026, they are ready for the next stage of growth. With the investment, they plan to expand their production capacity, open up new distribution channels, take marketing and branding measures and, of course, develop new products.

In the investor round, they had the opportunity to present their best dumplings to the "lions and lionesses". Some of the lions and lionesses showed interest, while others were concerned about the risk of expansion. No deal was made as a result. Lukas Speiser saw too much risk in the expansion. Nevertheless, Madame Sum remains committed to bringing her delicious dumplings to new markets and continuing her success story.

A business idea that hits like a bomb

"Table bomb hits": Brigitte Brunner from Gossau (ZH) has a business idea that literally hits like a bomb - table bombs. Her company offers a wide range of individualized table bombs that are perfect for various occasions. Whether birthdays, weddings or New Year's Eve celebrations, Brigitte has the right table bomb with the right contents, as she promises.

The story of TischbombenHits began in 2014, when Brigitte launched her webshop. Customers can now choose the table bomb that suits their occasion with just a few clicks. The idea behind her investment request of 90,000 francs for 10% of the company shares is to build a thriving Swiss company and receive support in marketing and sales.

One of the first questions that came up during the investor round was whether Brigitte runs the business alone. At the moment she is indeed the driving force behind her table bombs, but for larger orders she works together with a workshop for the disabled. The original idea for this business came to Brigitte when she was running a gift and decoration store and realized that the market for table bombs had hardly changed over the years. She started personalizing table bombs and the breakthrough came when she created the first gummy bear table bombs. This idea was so successful that she gave up her gift store to concentrate entirely on the production of table bombs.

Last year, Brigitte sold between 5,000 and 8,000 table bombs and achieved sales of 120,000 francs. The coronavirus pandemic posed a challenge, but she was still able to maintain her sales. She is convinced that targeted marketing could further increase business.

Lukas Speiser expressed concern about how difficult it might be to make the business profitable. Bettina Hein advised Brigitte to keep her idea to herself in order to profit from it herself. Subsequently, there was no deal for Brigitte. But she is determined to continue expanding her business with individualized table bombs and prove that her idea can hit like a "colourful bomb", bringing joy and surprise to festive tables.

Good ideas or pitches that will stink to the lions?

"Parkn' Sleep" - the innovation for campers and pitch providers: Lukas Imhof and Adam Opuchlik, passionate campers from Lucerne, are behind this ground-breaking idea, which they say has turned their passion for camping into an innovative solution. The basic idea behind "Parkn' Sleep" is simple: campers should have the freedom to drive off, park somewhere and spend the night without having to worry about parking tickets or the availability of parking spaces. But the reality is often different. Booking pitches can be complicated and "wild camping" is prohibited in many regions.

This is where the Parkn' Sleep app comes in: it connects campers and pitch providers by offering a user-friendly platform where campers can find, reserve and pay for available pitches. Pitch providers use a simple system with a sign containing a QR code. Campers scan this code, pay conveniently via the app and spend the night at a secure pitch. Both campers and hosts benefit when a motorhome stays overnight. This creates a win-win situation for everyone involved.

The success story of "Parkn' Sleep" speaks for itself. In just 1.5 years, the founders have gained 800 parking space providers and 17,000 registered campers. The app has already facilitated 8,500 overnight stays, with the average overnight stay costing 23 francs. Hosts receive 50% from this fee, which makes them valuable partners. With an investment from the lions and lionesses of 350,000 Swiss francs and 10% company shares, the founders intend to drive national expansion and extend the app throughout Europe. The founders have already gained 180 municipalities as partners and see enormous potential for 2000-3000 parking spaces in Switzerland alone. However, their focus is not only on Switzerland, but also on expansion throughout Europe.

Finally, the founders had to make an important decision when Roland Brack offered 350,000 Swiss francs for 15% of the company shares and Lukas Speiser offered 350,000 Swiss francs for 13% of the company shares. The choice fell on Roland Brack, who was seen as the more promising partner due to his network and experience in the camping sector. With strong growth potential and a clear focus on Europe, the founders are ready for the next stage of their exciting journey.

"pernoire luxury perfumes" - a fragrance experience from Basel. The magic of fragrance, which can reveal our personality, is undeniable. But can Switzerland also score with perfumes on an international level? This was the question that hovered in the room at the presentation of "pernoire luxury perfumes". Nico Mannino and Robin Dünner, the brains behind this perfume brand, presented their idea to the critical lions and lionesses. The question was: Is this a fragrant idea or a pitch that will stink to the lions? Do the lions have a fine enough nose for a deal?

The story of pernoire began in 2020, when Nico and Robin founded their innovative luxury perfume company in Basel. Their goal was to become the most popular perfume brand for the target group of 20-35-year-old customers. A key aspect of their business model is the network of partner perfumeries they have built up in Europe and the Middle East. With 40 perfumeries and 2,500 customers in the first year and a turnover of 70,000 Swiss francs, they had already proven that their idea was a success. In the second year, sales tripled to 200,000 Swiss francs. To drive their expansion and scaling, they looked for an investment of 180,000 Swiss francs and offered 5% of the company shares. Their pride in being "Made in Switzerland" was reflected in their perfumes. A special feature of pernoire is its focus on unisex fragrances.

Pernoire has successfully positioned itself in the luxury segment, with a 50 ml bottle costing 195 Swiss francs. The company sells both online and offline and uses social media for advertising. They also offer discovery sets of 5 bottles at a price of 35 francs.

With a turnover of almost 300,000 Swiss francs in just two years, the founders quickly attracted the attention of the lions and lionesses - everyone wanted to invest. The crucial question now was which offer was the better one: the duo Nicole Büttner and Jürg Schwarzenbach offered 200,000 Swiss francs for 10% of the company shares, while the offer from Roland Brack, Lukas Speiser and Anja Graf was 240,000 Swiss francs for 12% of the company shares. The founders ultimately opted for the offer of 240,000 Swiss francs, as they felt it offered them the better opportunity to grow and continue their fragrance journey.

From delicious desserts to the all-rounder cooking pot

"Grainglow" - revolutionary vegan desserts from Zurich: Grainglow, founded by Lara Zaugg and Matthias Stieger, is an up-and-coming start-up. It has set itself the task of winning the hearts of dessert lovers and promoting the vegan lifestyle at the same time.

Their desserts are not only vegan, but also free from granulated sugar. Instead, they use dates and rice syrup to get their sweetness. The products are gluten-free, plant-based and 100% natural. Grainglow was founded in 2019 and has become a force to be reckoned with in the dessert scene over the past two years.

The demand for their products has literally exploded in recent years and they are now looking for an investment of 250,000 Swiss francs in exchange for 10% of the company shares to grow further. Founder Lara Zaugg developed the recipe for her desserts because she cannot tolerate milk and developed a passion for culinary creations. In 2018, she launched a pop-up store in Bern, which immediately received a positive response.

In 2019, Lara met Matthias Stieger and together they set up a web store. The first orders were received the very next day. Grainglow products are already available in well-known retail chains such as Alnatura and Coop to Go.

A challenge for the lions and lionesses: The founders of Grainglow were on "Die Höhle der Löwen" looking for a partner willing to revolutionize the dessert market. Although they were unable to close a deal on the show, the founders still believe in the potential of their company. In 2021, they sold just under 40,000 units in retail, despite the pandemic affecting business. Despite this, the lions on the show did not invest, but Grainglow's story is an impressive example of the power of innovation and passion in the corporate world.

"Wired Cooking" - This all-rounder cooking pot is an innovative product that is set to revolutionize the way we cook. The founders, Dirk Uhlenhaut and Jochen Ganz from Zurich, are firmly convinced that this cooking pot represents the future of cooking. The high-tech cooking pot combines many functions in a single appliance and relies on a unique technology that enables cooking by temperature.

The special feature of this product is the integrated heating, with which the temperature can be precisely controlled. This prevents food from burning or overcooking, which not only improves the quality of the food, but also saves energy. An app allows users to individually adjust the time and temperature to achieve perfect results. This makes the all-rounder cooking pot attractive for every household.

The product has already been on the market for 4 months and has generated sales of 25,000 francs in this time. The price for the pot is 550 francs. In order to accelerate growth and establish the product in more and more households, the founders are looking for funding of 600,000 Swiss francs and are prepared to give up 7% of company shares. The target customer group for the all-rounder cooking pot is passionate amateur chefs who are looking for high-quality cooking experiences. However, Roland Brack emphasized that sales are the most important thing and not the investment or time spent up to this point. The potential of the product is paramount. Accordingly, it was also discussed whether the price was appropriate. In the current situation, however, no deal was made, but the company will continue to work on realizing its vision and bringing the all-rounder cooking pot into more and more households.

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