Awakened lions in episode 5/4 of "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz"

However, the 4th episode of "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz" started with an already well-known brand, "Nikin". With their already established success and a clear concept, the founders were looking for investment and expertise for their further development.

Step by step and tree by tree 

"NIKIN" - the sustainable fashion brand from Nicholas Hänny and Robin Gnehm from Lenzburg (AG), has caused a stir in the Swiss Lion's Den with its offer of 425,000 francs for 1% of the company. This Swiss fashion brand has made a name for itself by not only offering fashion for fair prices, but also by planting a tree for every product sold, resulting in 2 million trees planted so far. Their iconic tree logo symbolizes their deep commitment to the environment.

Although Nikin has already achieved an annual turnover of over CHF 10 million and has over 200,000 customers in Switzerland and 80,000 customers in Germany, they are not only looking for capital in the Swiss Lion's Den, but also for know-how, expertise and an extended network. Their aim is to work together to shape a sustainable future and protect nature.

Despite their success and fame, the founders are open to discussion and collaboration. They invite potential partners to become conservationists step by step and tree by tree. While the lions discuss the company's 1% investment, Nikin emphasizes that they have the potential to generate even more revenue.

Their offer is particularly interesting, in which they propose that someone supports them over the next few years by discussing important issues and challenging them. In return, they would plant 10,000 trees in their name. Although they did not receive any investment in the Lion's Den, they successfully raised further resources to continue their mission. "Nikin's young entrepreneurs are pioneers in sustainability," says Roland Brack.  

Switzerland in a glass and the smolball on the racket

"Lakeside Valley - Gin" - founded by Marcel Amann and Marcel Jost from Meggen (LU), is launching a gin that aims to reflect Switzerland in a glass. They have attracted attention with their Aronia Dry Gin, which undergoes an astonishing color change when tonic is added and takes on the colors of the Swiss flag. The company has achieved sales of a quarter of a million Swiss francs in a short space of time and is now seeking 150,000 francs for 15% company shares.

The special feature of this gin lies not only in its taste, but also in the unique color change. They have also been granted the patent for ice cubes in the shape of the Swiss cross. Although not all of the ingredients come from Switzerland, the gin is produced in the Lucerne region. Lakeside Valley plans to double its turnover in the next few years and sees potential in the duty-free market. They also want to launch a non-alcoholic version of their gin to meet the needs of different customers. Their investment request of 150,000 francs is aimed at strengthening the infrastructure and making the brand "Switzerland in a glass" internationally known.

They finally received two offers in the Swiss Lion's Den: Jürg Schwarzenbach and Felix Bertram both offered 150,000 Swiss francs, but demanded 20% company shares. The company founders then made a counter-offer: they wanted to receive 100,000 Swiss francs as an investment from each of the two lions in return for 10% company shares. Both lions accepted the offer as they were convinced by the brand and their expansion plans.

"Smolball - team game": Janusz Smolinski and Angélique Cesare from Watt (ZH) presented their team game called Smolball, which they developed together, on the show. This game combines rackets and a ball with the aim of scoring more goals than the opponent. It is characterized by dynamism, speed and safety. The idea for Smolball came about when Janusz was a sports student and saw the need to accommodate students on overcrowded tennis courts. He later began to implement the idea in physical education classes as a sports teacher and had great success with it. Safety in the game is of great importance to the company and they have invested a lot of time in developing safe equipment, including rackets, balls, gym bags and grip tapes.

Smolball is already well established in Switzerland, with schools, gymnastics clubs and even in the Swiss military. It is also played in company sports. There are currently 12 active clubs that organize a small championship, and the company has achieved a total annual turnover of 160,000 francs in the last three years. Smolball seems to have potential to be internationally successful, as the company has already received inquiries from all over the world. That's why they were looking for an investment of 200,000 Swiss francs for 15% company shares in Die Höhle der Löwen Switzerland to make Smolball a global brand. Despite the interest and vision for the future, Smolball was unfortunately unable to secure an investment on the show. Their focus is now on further developing the domestic market and increasing sales in the coming years, including investing in marketing activities to gain even more recognition.

The episode with bright lions and lionesses

"GALVENTA- Wake-up capsules": Sascha Fritsche and Bastian Heer from St. Gallen (SG) presented a truly innovative product in Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz, namely the wake-up capsules called B Sync. As two bright young entrepreneurs, they cherished the dream of a significant investment. The special feature of these capsules is that they are the world's first wake-up capsules that have been specially developed to support the wake-up process. The ingredients are released with a time delay before you get up, which means that users are in a better mood and can get up more easily. This product has even been tested in a clinical study, which sets it apart from many other supplements. The target group for B Sync are shift workers, morning grouches and people who are frequently on the move and suffer from jet lag. In the last 12 months, they have launched B Sync ON and built up a B2C business in Switzerland and the UK, in addition to their B2B business in Turkey.

For their business, they were looking for an investment of 200,000 Swiss francs in exchange for 2% company shares. The lions showed great interest as they were impressed by the technology and the potential of this product. In the end, there were several offers from the lions: Jürg Schwarzenbach, Felix Bertram, Roland Brack and Lukas Speiser all offered 200,000 Swiss francs, but with different company shares between 2% and 2.5%. The company opted for a deal with two investors, Lukas Speiser and Felix Bertram, and sold 4% company shares for a total of 400,000 Swiss francs. With this investment and the support of the lions, Sascha and Bastian believe they are well positioned to further establish their innovative product on the market and expand their business.

Two companies, but only one investment 

"Wood-i Vibra Therapy GmbH": Sandro Aeschbach and Andrea Zulauf from Menziken (AG) presented their product "Wood-i", a vibration massager that stands out from conventional massage guns, on Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz. Wood-i is a battery-powered vibrating hammer made of wood. Unlike the usual massage guns on the market, the vibration of Wood-i can be set to different levels. The device is not only aesthetically pleasing due to the wooden material, but also sustainable and environmentally friendly. The founders emphasize that there are no comparable medical devices with this specific vibration function in Switzerland or anywhere else in Europe. The offer in Die Höhle der Löwen Switzerland was 10% company share for 50,000 Swiss francs.

The idea for Wood-i came from the founders' many years of experience in the therapeutic field. They were looking for a reliable massage device that could withstand the demands of their profession. However, most available devices had limited battery life and were not suitable for long-term use. Wood-i offers a solution to this challenge based on replaceable batteries. This enables 24-hour operation. Both home devices and professional therapy devices are available at different price points to meet the needs of different users.

The founders plan to sell Wood-i both online and through their own network. They would use the 50,000 francs they were looking for to certify and regulate the product in order to make it accessible to the global market. At the end of the presentation, they received offers from two lions, Roland Brack and Jürg Schwarzenbach, who were willing to invest 50,000 francs each for 10% company shares. In the end, the founders opted for an investment from Roland Brack and successfully closed the deal.

"Haute Contour - Beauty Courses": Nora Tomac's company "Haute Contour" also presented itself in this fourth episode of Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz. This company specializes in beauty courses. The founders of Haute Contour believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that natural beauty can be promoted without having to resort to expensive and not always healthy beauty treatments such as Botox or injections.

Haute Contour offers an alternative to the conventional anti-ageing approach and acts as a "gym for the face", so to speak. The company offers various workout techniques and tools to train the muscles in the face and tighten the skin. The focus is not only on external beauty, but also on well-being and relaxation of the mind.

The founders of Haute Contour have developed their own product line to support their workout techniques. Their offer in "Die Höhle der Löwen" was 150,000 Swiss francs for 10% company shares, with the aim of spreading their innovative concept and revolutionizing anti-aging in Switzerland. The lions on the show were interested, but also had doubts about the scientific proof of the method's effectiveness, especially Felix Bertram. Nevertheless, the founders emphasized that their customers feel immediate effects. Ultimately, there was no investment for Haute Contour in this episode, as the lions expressed concerns about market competition and the scientific validation of the method.

More information on upcoming shows: www.oneplus.ch